I Know Things
by aratay26
Summary: A story in which a girl finds herself in the MCU, and claims to have superpowers. And also, most importantly, that she is not in love with half the people in the room. *cough* yeah, *cough* right. Infinity War, Endgame Fix-It with OC
1. Chapter 1 : I dimension-hop

I was confused. I was _really_ confused.

A minute ago I had been with my summer camp friends touring New York and its skyscrapers. We were supposed to be getting back to the hotel by four, and I had spotted a luxurious building that looked like it would have luxurious bathrooms, and had went in with Lucas and Jenya.

But they were both gone now.

A wave of dizziness had hit me right as I had entered the building, and I had stumbled, reaching out for Jenya, then grasped bare air and fell to the ground.

I was sitting on the ground now, trying to look around for them. Where were they? Why on Earth had they disappeared? Did they run to the restroom together? Maybe they _had_ been more desperate than I thought.

In the corner of my gaze I saw two guards of the building coming towards me. Ah. I had sat on the ground for a moment too long.

I stood up, trying to look nonchalantly towards wherever the bathroom was, and found an information desk.  
_Voila_. I walked to the lady behind the desk, and smiled hopefully.

"Can you tell me where the-"

"Midtown, right?" She gestured offhandedly in the elevators direction. "It's that way."

"What? Um, no, I'm just trying to find where the restroom-"

"The restroom's inside the building, second floor. You'll-" Her phone rang, and she picked it up quickly. "Go on," She told me dismissively, and answered the call.

Um. What the fuck was Midtown and why did she think I was one?

I didn't think much about it, though I should have. I just wanted to go to the restroom, get Lucas and Jenya, and go back to the hotel. It was nearing four by now. I passed through the gates with a nod from the guard-why was security so slack in here? Oh, maybe because I was a teenager. An Asian girl that seemed perfectly sure of where she was going, to the restroom. I stifled a giggle at that, and paused in front of the elevators. There was a group of kids here too. They seemed a bit older than me, and was lead by an adult, probably a teacher.

A field trip, then.

I leaned on the wall next to the elevator, and grabbed my phone, furiously texting Jenya.

_Dudette where are u?! I'm going to bathroom wait there_

There was no reply, and I sighed. For fuck's sake.

"-you think Mr. Stark will show up? I mean you are spiderman-"

"Shh, Ned. I don't know, okay? Stop asking me that, someone might hear!"

The familiar name caught my ears, and I frowned. Were the kids that much of a Marvel geek to act out a fanfic or something? Huh. That's kinda cute, actually.

I looked up from my phone to see a scruffy, lean guy wearing the face of..._Tom Holland._

I did a double take.

What? What was Tom Holland doing here with teenagers dressed like a teenager?

Maybe it wasn't him. Maybe it was someone with the exactly same face and body and-

Okay it was Tom Holland.

The elevator pinged open, and I followed Holland onto it. My mind was reeling. Should I ask for an autograph? Or a selfie? I knew Lucas was a huge fan, maybe I should stop the actor until I found Lucas?

Then I saw the kid standing next to Holland. The chubby, Asian teenager from the spiderman movies.

Um. What?

Did I just stumble onto a movie set by accident?

Or maybe the actors were pranking someone. Yeah. I had seen actors pranking sick kids by their special appearance on tv shows and whatnot. Maybe that was what was happening now?

I had no idea. And the opportunity to have the guy's signature was too huge to just miss.

I cleared my throat.

"Um, hey." English felt weird. Although I had used it for the entire duration of my summer camp, and was equally fluent with it and my native language Korean, I just got a bit nervous sometimes. I worried I might mess up my pronunciation, or wording, and look like an idiot. Which I knew was stupid, because I knew I didn't have to be perfect at it. So I gathered my confidence, and continued.

"Can I have your-"

Holland wasn't even looking at me. Um. Dude? Can you give a least a fuck so I wouldn't freak?

I rolled my eyes, clearing my throat again. This time, he did look at me.

I smiled pointedly at him. "Can I have your-"

The elevator stopped, the door opening, and other teens rushed out, including that Asian guy. Holland was still looking at me.

"Can I have your autograph?"

Holland had a very startled face on his face and I suddenly doubted myself. It _was_ an autograph right? In Korea we asked for _signs_. Or signatures.

"Excuse me?" Holland asked and I blinked.

"A signature. An autograph. Oh! I'll get the paper just wai-"

"Why would you want my autograph?"

Okay so it _was_ an autograph-what?

"What? What do you mean?"

"Why would you want my autograph," Holland repeated nervously, and I frowned.

"Uh, duh?" I didn't want to seem so sassy in front of the guy almost all of my friends had crushes on and also someone I had read a gazillion fanfics about, but the guy was being a dick. Who says that to someone who wants their autograph? Even I would just sign someone if they asked. As long as that person wasn't a con artist. Oh. Maybe Holland thought I was a conman-woman?

Perhaps not.

"Um, because you're famous? Because you're spiderman?"

Holland's face took on another shade of white that I hadn't even seen in _wallpapers_. Ooh. Fascinating.

"How did you know that?" He whispered, flinching at my last sentence.

"Uh," I was getting very very confused very very quickly. "Because I live in the modern society and I interact with other human beings? Because I watch-"

The doors closed, and I blinked furiously. "Shit," I swore, trying to get past the dude to open the elevator doors again. But Holland was frozen to the spot. "Uh, Mr. Holland? Get out of the way pleas-"

I was too late. The elevator was headed up to who knows where.

Never mind whatever trouble I would get into with the authorities if I wandered off in this building, I knew there could be even _more_ trouble if Lucas and Jenya and I arrived to the hotel late. I shuddered at the possibilities. They could ground us from going to see that _Halsey_ concert I had came to America _for_. _Seriously_.

"I have to go to the restroom!" I half yelled at him, but he was still frozen. I had no idea what he was thinking about. "R-restroom?" He faintly repeated after me and I stifled a growl. Gawd. _Halsey_ was hanging on this!

I moved to the panel, eyes fixed on what floor we were on. 23. 24. Why the fuck was this thing so fast?

I pushed all the buttons from thirty to forty and-

The elevator stopped. I looked down slowly, as the door opened on the 29th floor to-

Fucking Robert Downey Jr.

I stumbled back, running backwards into Holland as my brain just kind of lagged. Was this a dream? Had I read too many Starker fics lately that I just went crazy?

Holland grabbed my arms to steady me, and stood next to the door, looking anxiously at Downey.

The older man's gaze paused on him.

"Hey kid. Field trip, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, Mr. Stark."  
That was when my brain just combusted.

Downey frowned at Holland. "You okay? You look a bit...pale."

"I'm-I'm fine, sir. It's just-" He turned to look at me, and Downey's slid past him to rest on me. I focused past the light-headedness that I was starting to feel. FFS. This was crazy. This was so fucking crazy that I almost felt like I was going to faint.

All the pieces fell into place if I just accepted the madness. And if I just acknowledged the truth staring at me in the face. That-

"Who are _you_?" Downey-no, Tony Stark asked suspiciously and I slacked against the elevator wall. A sigh escaped my mouth. Well. Might as well as just give up trying to make this make sense.

"Do you want my real name, or my english name?" I asked back tiredly, and Stark raised an eyebrow.

"Both."

"Eunseo Regis Lee."

"And h-how do you know?" Peter Parker stammered, and Tony Stark frowned.

"Know what?"

"That-that I'm-" Peter took a deep breath, and released. "I'm spiderman."

Tony Stark's head snapped towards me and I knew then. I knew that I had just been royally fucked by whatever god that was out there, hating my existence.


	2. Chapter 2 : Peter wants sandwiches

The door started to close before Tony Stark or I could say anything, and he jammed the up button.

"Come out," He said shortly, and Peter stumbled out.

The older man then looked at me pointedly, and I blinked, edging back to the elevator wall.

"I really need to go to the restroom," I smiled apologetically, but Stark did not look amused.

"Come out," He repeated, and I rolled my eyes.

"K, dude. I'm bi." I said, drawling my words to sound like an rebellious kid. He blinked, looking something _other_ than exhausted for once.

"...Not _that_ coming out, what's wrong with you teenagers?"

"I told you, I need to get out of here."

He went back to looking exhausted.

"Your field trip does not end until like, 5. You have plenty of time to go to the restroom-"

"Uh, Mr. Stark," Peter butted in. "She's not part of our field trip." He said hesitantly. "I've never seen her before."

The alarm in Stark's eyes grew.

"Then how did she get in here?"

"Your security sucks." I told him, trying to think of something to help me get out of here. I saw no options. I was stuck in this elevator, and if I was _really_ in the MCU, I didn't have a clue how I was even supposed to get out of this _universe_.

I glanced at Stark, who...looked mad. Oops. I had hurt his ego absentmindedly.

"Stark Industry has one of the best security systems in the world along with the best artificial intelligence manning our-"

"Sorry. Maybe it doesn't work on teenagers," I cleared my throat. "Okay. Where are you guys taking me?"

Stark looked at me like I was a complicated math equation that could bite him in the face if he wasn't careful. I quirked a quick smile, and looked at Peter Parker, who was looking at me with a carefully schooled face that I could read like a magazine. He looked upset and scared. He was so cute, wasn't he? I was probably like 8 years younger than Tom Holland, but-wow, it sounded really gross when I put it like that.

"Follow me." Stark tried to turn back to the hallway but I shook my head.

"Uh, no. Answer the question." I blinked, then added a _please_ hurriedly.

Huh, I was a very arrogant person. I was just realizing that now, in a fictional world with fictional characters. Maybe the fact that these people weren't real, gave me confidence?

Stark gave me a look, and-_oh_ maybe my arrogance was because of how I labelled him in my head; Stark.

How do you think of movie characters in your head? Tony Stark? Mr. Stark? _Eww_. _Tony_ sounds like he's a friend, and _Stark_ sounds like an enemy.

I mentally shook off my thoughts. Whatever. I'll just call him rich white dude. _Hot_ rich white dude. That counted for both Robert Downey Jr, and Tony Stark.

I was actually taking this fictional world thing really well, though. Why was that? It _was_ the only logical reason possible and I _was _a logical girl, but MCU? Spiderman?

Halsey falling in love with me sounded even more plausible than that.

Oh god. _Halsey_. _The concert.  
_

I briefly compared the prospect of Halsey's concert and the prospect of being able to talk with the rich white dude who was snapping his fingers at me right now-um what?

I blinked, focusing back on Robert. No, Tony. Tony Stark. Stark. Mr. Stark. Oh, maybe I _was_ panicking. Maybe _this_ was panicking.

"-even listening to what I'm saying?"

"No." I blinked again. "Yes."

He put a head to his forehead, looking like he had a really bad migraine. "Ju-Just follow me, weirdo. We're going to have a serious conversation about how you know the kid's secret identity, emphasis on _secret_, and then I'm going to make you sign at least ten different kinds of NDAs then-"

"What's that?" Peter asked, and I shrugged. "Non-Disclosure Agreements.'

He mouthed an _oh_.

Rich white dude looked at me. "How do you know that?"

"Oh, I sign them on a regular basis." I said dismissively, and at the appalled expression on the older man, laughed out loud. "You're weird."

"I didn't know if I could say this to a person, no a _kid,_ I met barely five minutes ago, _but_...you're weirder."

"Thank you." I grinned. I was starting to realize that shock made a person relatively rasher. I was feeling lightheaded, and giddy, like that time I swallowed too many cough pills and drifted around feeling so _so_ high.

I stepped off the elevator with a bounce in my steps. The two guys stepped back. I looked around. It seemed like we were in some kind of a work space?

There were two small rooms in front of the elevator, on each sides. I saw through the blurred windows, many complex looking computers and electronics that were all connected to each other, blinking red lights in a synchronized rhythm.

Huh. Boring.

But I could see straight in front of me was a larger room, easily the size of four rooms that are filled with computers, that was very very empty. The wallpapers were white, the clinical color that made me want to paint something on it.

"What's this floor for?" I asked, when I finished my examination.

Rich white dude ignored me, starting to walk across the corridor.

I glanced at Peter, who looked at me with sympathy. "What's this room for, Mr. Stark?" He asked, with a tad more enthusiasm than I, and rich white dude looked back at us, who were following him into the room.

"It's the simulation room. Remember the B.A.R.F?"

"Barf? What-Oh! That memory thing?" Peter asked back and the older man rolled his eyes.

"That revolutionary trauma solving _memory thing_. Yeah. This place is kind of like an advanced version of it. While B.A.R.F could only show traumatic memories, this can also simulate your _imaginations_, in theory."

"What do you mean, in theory?" I asked, getting interested. Woah. If I had rooms like this, I would never leave it. I would see all of my secret dirty imagination coming true. Well, not coming _true_. But something close to that.

Rich white dude frowned at me. "I have all the correct mechanisms and the technology, but it doesn't work because of the other factor. _Imagination_."

"Oh, because you're old."

He looked mildly annoyed.

"Yes, because I'm old. Also because I'm a very realistic person. It takes more than just an imagination. You have to use all of your senses to create the imagination, and _see_ it. Clearly."

"Can I try it?" Peter sparked up, excitement rushing to his face. "I have imagination."

"Yeah duh," I muttered to myself. Apparently Peter heard it, because he turned to me. "Wanna try too?"

"Uh, don't forget it's _my_ machine," Rich white dude said, looking vaguely alarmed at the turn of subject.

Yeah. I was kinda surprised that Peter had the attention span of a toddler. Weren't we just talking about interrogating me? Now I'm just going to take a ride on rich white dude's simulator?

"Sure." I replied, shrugging. It was better than interrogation, I had to admit.

Rich white dude considered us for a moment, then it seemed like science got the better of him, because he moved into the computer room.

He came back out, with what looked like a skeleton structure of a helmet. He put it on Peter after a moment of hesitation. "You know I can't guarantee anything right? It's not for sale or-"

"Let's just do it. I always wanted to try something like this, like seeing my memories or imaginations again." Peter said enthusiastically, waving his hands around as he explained.

Rich white dude nodded. "Go stand in the middle." He instructed, and I watched as Peter nervously walked in. I slightly frowned. Should I run away or something? It sounded dumb to just stand here with a stupid expression on my face. Hmm. I looked back at the elevator. It was still on this floor. As soon as I was just _thinking_ about sprinting towards the elevator and the possibility of me making the escape, rich white dude faintly shook his head at me.

"Don't even think about it."

"Don't think about Peter's cuteness?" I answered immediately and he blinked.

"Uh...yeah, don't think about that either. We _are_ going to have a conversation about how you know his identity. Just after this."

"Sure." I leaned next to the wall, acting more confident than I felt. God. I really shouldn't be playing the role of sassy teenager. More like scared out of her wits dimension-hopper?

"FRIDAY, activate the sound and visuals." Rich white dude called out, and we were answered with a _zoom_ as computers fired up. The room went dark.

"Kid? Focus really hard on a specific image, or an imagination. It'll be easy if you start with a memory, but you have to make something different to show that it's made-up. Understand?"

"Yeah, Mr. Stark."

I watched with fascination as Peter squeezed his eyes shut, and-

The room stuttered. No, lights stuttered. A shape formed in front of Peter, who was no longer in a stupid helmet anymore.

The shapes were fuzzy, and out of focus though. It was as if I was watching a really old film. The quality was awful. I couldn't even tell who was in front of Peter.

But I guessed, due to rich white dude's impressed look, that this was more than what he had accomplished.

"That's me," Rich white dude murmured. I glanced back at the room. Right. The second figure standing next to Peter was Stark. They were standing in front of a..._counter_. Peter seemed to be imagining a shop.

The quality of the sound wasn't that good, but I could make out the voices through the static.

"-do you recommend?"

"Um, turkey is really good. But then everything's good here."

"Okay, kid."

Ooh. He was imagining them getting sandwiches. Cute. I glanced at rich white dude, who was looking considerably touched. I was thinking about how lame Peter's fantasy was-so domestic- when the simulator shut off, leaving Peter with his adorable blush standing there. I cleared my throat.

"Well that was...cute. And blindingly normal."

"Sandwiches, huh?" Rich white dude asked Peter, blatantly ignoring me, and Peter smiled.

"Yeah. Mr. Delmar's. I always wished we could go together."

"Maybe we should. I'll be happy to make your fantasy come true," The older guy grinned playfully and Peter blushed.

I struggled to keep a pokerface. I had read too many fanfiction. Ugh. My vile brain.

"I wanna try," I called out, trying to distract myself from the overthinking of innuendos in their conversation. "Can I?"

Rich white-you know what, I'm just gonna think of him as Stark. Seriously. This is exhausting.

Anyway, Stark stared at me, like he was trying to figure out my evil plan, and he seemingly reached the same conclusion I had. That I _had no plan at all_. He shrugged. "Why not?"

I stood in the middle of the white room, the idiotic helmet on and my eyes clenched shut. I ran my mind over dozens of my favorite daydreams. I frowned. Should I take the tactical approach, and reveal that I know things about the Avengers? Or should I just play the ignorant teenager and focus on trying to get back to that Halsey concert?

The former sounded funner but dangerouser, but I wasn't in much of a position to make logical decisions, which can also be proven in the upper lack of grammar. I was too hyped, too excited.

Which was why I got stuck on the worst imagination to show to Stark, and dare I say it, the _best_ one, that wasn't even one of my favorites.

I opened my eyes.

Tony Stark and Morgan Stark were standing in front of me.


	3. Chapter 3 : I spill

My imagination was way more clearer than Peter's. Probably because I daydream a lot, but the 4D simulation we were in was life-like, and I could almost feel the wind blowing against my back. We were in a field of green grass, just outside of his cottage. Morgan was holding hands with her dad. It was an adorable moment. Wow, I was seeing a lot of adorable things in this universe, wasn't I?

"Hullo." I waved, and Stark, the fake one, looked at me.

"Hi." He smiled. I had skipped past the _who are you_ and the threatening stages. We were friends. I was Morgan's babysitter. Stark was going to die in less than an year.

"Let's go inside," I murmured, blinking. God, I suddenly wanted to cry. What was I doing? What was I showing to Stark? What was he thinking?

I felt like I was naked. I didn't know why, or what this feeling was, but I wanted to go back. Back to my world. Back to Seoul. I hadn't seen my mom in a month. I had been supposed to fly back tomorrow, but now with _this_...

The lack of knowledge about the situation I was in was _jarring_, and the high I had been in crashed down, hard.

I squeezed my eyes shut, and when I opened them I wasn't in the meadow anymore. I breathed out shakily, and rubbed at my eyes.

"What was that?" Stark demanded, walking towards me and I flinched back. This had been a mistake. "Who was that girl?"

I bit my lips. Okay. Chill. It'll be fine. _I'll_ be fine.

"I really shouldn't tell you," I said, forcing a bit of amusement into my voice. I knew he saw straight through it because he stepped back, narrowing his eyes.

"Who are you?" He asked again, after a moment of consideration, his eyes meeting mine. "You don't make sense. you know that, right?"

"Yeah." I answered tiredly. "I'm sorry. For everything."

He was in deep thought for a long moment, and I looked down at my sneakers. I was about to spill everything, when he sighed, then turned back to Peter.

"Peter. You should go back to the field trip. Teachers will be looking for you."

Peter frowned. "But-"

"I'll deal with this." _This_ meaning me. "I'll get back to you on it, okay?"

If it were me, I would never leave. But Peter was a very faithful kid, and he nodded despite his conflicted expression.

"See you later, Mr. Stark."

He left, leaving behind me with Stark in one of the most awkward situations I have ever been in.

Err. Dude. Please say something.

"Okay. First things first." He turned to me. "How did you get in here?"

"I was passing by, and we needed a restroom so-"

"We?"

"Me and my friends."

"And where are they?"

"...I don't know. Probably at the restroom?" They probably weren't.

"Okay, and?"

I rolled my eyes. "The woman at the information desk thought I was part of the field trip." Midtown was Peter's school, I remembered now. "So she let me in. And then I saw Peter, and fiasco followed."

"So, the question of the hour." He tilted his head in that particular way. "How do you know Peter's Spiderman?"

"Um..." This was the important part. I had to get this right. Still, I had no clue what I was supposed to say. His frown deepened at my hesitation and I-

"I know things!" I blurted out. He looked impatient.

"We've already established that you know things. The question was how."

Oh god, I was a step away from hyperventilating. I always thought _hyperventilating_ sounded like a superpower. A horrible superpower. Like you had a power to ventilate hyperly, whatever that meant.  
My brain bursting into random thoughts like this, was also a show of hyperventilation.

Oh. Superpowers.

"It's my superpower," I breathed out before I had a chance to actually think about what I was sprouting, and looked up at him hopefully. "I know things."

He scowled. "Your superpower is that you know things. Right. Very believable."

"Its true," I argued, and he arched an eyebrow.

"What did I have for breakfast?"

"...How am I supposed to know that?"

"You said it was your-"

"I know important things, somethings, not _everything_,"

Stark crossed his arms, still very much doubtful. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," He said sarcastically, then sighed. "For example...?"

"I know, uh," I racked my brain. What did I know? Well, it really depended on the timeline-"What year is it?"

"You know what year it is?"

I scoffed. "It was a question. What year is it?"

He was looking at me like a lunatic now.

"You're so weird. It's 2018. February. 16th."

"Oh shit." Two months until infinity war. Shit shit shit. I really didn't want to be turned into a dust bunny.

Wait. I wasn't gonna be here for two months, was I? This was a disaster. And anyway, could I spoil the entire movie to Ironman? All the way to Endgame where he dies?

"Oh shit?" He questioned and I smiled innocently, inwardly wincing.

"It's 10 days to my birthday."

"And what birthday is that? Seventeen?" Did I look that old? Huh.

"Um, no." Wait. "Yes."

He gave me another look-_stop bullshitting_\- and I shrugged. "I'm seventeen."

"Turning seventeen, or are you seventeen right now?"

I briefly paused and he sighed. "Whatever. Forget it. I don't care what how old you are, just stop playing. Tell me how you know-"

"A few years ago," I started. "Right around when Ultron was becoming a thing. You had a vision." I had seen Age of Ultron on the plane ride to America. Glad _something_ was in my favor. "Outer world creatures attacked, and everyone had died, but you. And you knew it was your fault. Because you weren't strong enough." At least, that's what I thought was going on in Stark's head.

His face was unreadable, more serious than I had ever seen him.

I continued. "And its going to happen. In reality. In approximately two months." I stepped closer to him, to really let the message sink. "I don't know if I'm still going to be here when it happens, but I know this. A lot of people are going to die, and I really shouldn't be the priority right now."

I leaned back, looking at him in the eye. "So, let me go."

He paused, then laughed stiltedly. "You know that you sound like a rambling lunatic, right? But you knows what's weird? I actually believe you." He clenched his fist. "You, you know what's going to happen." He said, more of a statement than a question, and I nodded.

"Yes."

"Then I can't let you go," He said, stepping forward. I almost flinched back. "I need to stop it from happening."

I tilted my head. Oh. I hadn't thought of it from _that_ angle.

"You guys have a happy ending, with or without me," I tried, but one fact decided to pop into my head at that moment. "Except..." I trailed off and his frown deepened.

"Except what?"

_Except you die._

Ugh. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you what happens. I'll spoil the entire future for you." I rolled my eyes, annoyed that I dug myself into a hole, but then-

Right. Gamora. Vision. Loki. Stark.

I could save all of them, couldn't I? If I was going to be here even a day or more, I should do what I could.

I didn't have to think of this as a task. I could actually enjoy this. I could meet every Avenger, the A-list actors I would never meet in real life, and _baffle_ them.

"The future?" Stark asked, and I smiled genuinely for once. "Yeah. Everything. But before that, I really need to go to the restroom."

"What _is_ it with you and your restroom fixation?" He said, incredulous, and I scowled.

"I actually need to go, dude. Would you prefer I do it here?"

He raised his hands. "Do not-"

"I was joking. I'm not a puppy," I added, and he sighed.

"Fine. Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"...I can't believe I'm taking you to my suite."

"_Ooh_. Awesome."

* * *

A/N : Hi people sorry for not updating quickly, but I'm suddenly seriously obsessed with Star Wars...?

But anyway. Review if you can, I'm really hoping for some feedback on this dorky character and nerdy plot. Thanks for reading:)


	4. Chapter 4 : We kind of fight

Tony Stark's apartment was huge. It was literally the biggest house I had ever been in. The fact that the guy's a billionaire hit me quite heavily, and I looked with awe at the gigantic TV, the exotic looking leather couch, and the bar leading into the kitchen.

The restroom was as big as my room in Seoul. Maybe even bigger. It kind of annoyed me without reason. If he had given me _just_ a million dollars I would've been able to go to that boarding school I had really wanted to go to. It would have opened up a _spectrum_ of possibilities for me.

I comforted myself with the fact that Stark was made up. I wasn't. That was like the one thing I had over him.

Also my weird-ass personality. Though he was weird too.

When I came back out to the living room, Statk was missing. Well, not missing. He just wasn't there.

I plopped down on the couch, and just generally stared at everything. I wished I could steal the TV. Or at least, the remote controller.

"Where _is_ he," I muttered to myself after what felt like hours, but were probably minutes. I was getting impatient and ready to go exploring, probably into his bedroom when-

"Mr. Stark is currently in his lab. Would you like me to guide you through?"

I almost jumped, then blinked. Oh right. FRIDAY. "Um, yeah?"

The woman's voice told me where to go, back to the elevator and up again. She, no _it_ was super interesting. The levels of AIs in this universe were way more developed than the real world, which meant that FRIDAY sounded much human.

The elevator opened, and I stepped out facing a glass wall, separating the mechanics lab from the staircase that probably leaded into another penthouse or a balcony.

I surveyed the scenery. I was much of a liberal arts type of person, _mun-gua_ as Koreans called it, and also since I had no interest in science or whatnot, the lab looked very intimidating. I shuddered at the complicated machinery, and the man standing in the middle of it all.

"You are the youngest person to be in Tony's lab," FRIDAY commented, out of nowhere, and I frowned.

"Uh, good to know?" I tilted my head up to wherever the speakers were. "Wait, how do you know how old I am?"

"Mr. Stark has installed an algorithm that determines the human's clearance level, based on their face and body's development stage. The youth under seventeen has all clearances."

I wrinkled my forehead. "Why?"

"Let me play a recording." The noise from the speaker became slightly fuzzy, then clear again. "_If teens have the guts to break into the Stark fucking Tower, I should show it to them, shouldn't I?_" It was Stark, his humorous voice putting a smile on my face. It was probably before Civil War. The Stark I met felt broody, dark.

"Do you record everything?" I asked, interested.

"For security purposes, audio monitoring is active at all times unless Mr. Stark prohibits it."

"Cool." I smirked devilishly. "Play something regarding..._cats_."

"...Under the babysitter protocol, I can not play that particular recording."

I narrowed my _eyes._ "Huh?"

"It is somewhat of a..." I could feel the uncomfortable-ness in the AI's voice. Which was weird. AIs couldn't feel uncomfortable, right? "Inappropriate situation."  
I paused, my brain whirling, then laughed wickedly as realization dawned. "So the _one_ recording about cats, is during _sex_? Oh my god." I frowned. "Wait. What do you mean, babysitter-"

"Weirdo." Stark acknowledged. He had walked out of the lab without me noticing. I turned toward him, then tilted my head. "Do you really have a babysitter protocol? What does it do, feed me stuff? Read me storys?"

"FRIDAY can also sing a lullaby," Stark answered, and I rolled my eyes.

"That's actually really degrading."

"I'm surprised you know what degrading means."

I scoffed, in disbelief at the guy's nerve to act like such an ageist. But before I could snap at him or insult his stupidly good looking face, he sighed.

"Sorry. What you said, back there, is getting to me."

My face softened. "You can ignore it if you want, you know. Let time take its course. You guys _will_ have a happy ending."

"Are there any deaths?" He asked, subdued, like he had thought about this many times, and I winced, then nodded faintly.

"Then no." He said firmly. "I have to at least try to save them."

_Not them_, you. I wanted to say it, but couldn't. Agh. Fuck it. _I'll_ do it myself. I'll save the dude. I could do it. I just needed Vision to carve out his stone and destroy it. It was simple.

I clenched my jaw nervously. "I'll help. I know exactly what's going to happen."

"And I don't know a single thing about you." Stark answered coolly, and I shrugged.

"You know my name?"

He stared at me, then turned slightly away. "FRIDAY, tell us what you found on Eunseo Lee."

"I'm afraid to tell you nothing, sir. Eunseo Lee does not exist."

"Uh _what_? I _exist_." Unless MCU didn't have an Eunseo Lee...Oh shit. "...Or maybe not." I added weakly, and Stark looked exasperated.

"How am I supposed to believe what you say when all you've talked about yourself are lies? What _is_ your real name?"

I closed my eyes. This was really really annoying. The world was going out of its way to specifically annoy me.

"Okay." I tried to calm my thoughts down. "So you know about the parallel universe theory, right?"

He rolled his eyes. "As teenagers say, _duh_."

"I think I come from another parallel universe." I let out, and his eyes narrowed. "I know its hard to believe, but I think when I entered this building in New York, I came to this universe. To your tower."

"And you know what's going to happen because..."

"Because I've seen it happen before. In my universe." Wow. I was actually making sense.

"That doesn't make sense." My face fell. "If you do come from a parallel universe, how can you know the timeline of what is going to happen? Even in parallel universes, time flows the same pace."

"...maybe it doesn't..?"

He glanced at me with a reproachful look and I shrugged. "Whatever. Can we just get to the part where we call all the superpowered people and I meet them?"

"Not happening."

"Why?" I whined, and he scowled.

"Because first, I don't believe half of the things coming out of your mouth. Also, we were talking about you? And how you don't exist?"

"I'm not lying. I happen to come from a different universe, and I happen to have a superpower. Why won't you just _get it_?"

"Because what you say doesn't make sense! Not even a third of it is coherent!"

"Maybe what you _think_ should make sense doesn't make sense, and is making it harder for you to _see_ sense!" I yelled back at him, ignoring the fact that I said sense three times in one sentence. "Why do you have to think everything I say is a lie? Duh, I _know_ it doesn't make sense, but why would I say it to you if I didn't _believe_ in it? Because it is what it is, no matter if it makes sense or not! So just accept it!"

He stepped back at my outburst, and to my horror, I felt my eyes blur.

No way am I crying in front of Ironman. I clenched my fist, digging my nails into my skin, and glared up at him.

"If you think I'm lying, I'll just leave."

I turned around, facing the elevator, and he grabbed my wrist before I could hit the button.

"Wait. All right." He released me, then rubbed at his forehead. "I don't think you're lying. Well, mostly not. But, you have to understand it's, crazy. For me. To accept that you come from another universe. I mean, why you? And why now? Why here? There's so many questions that you haven't answered."

He looked overwhelmed, but he was struggling to stay coherent.

"So which is why, I need you to forget about everything else. Focus on the vision. Who destroys Earth? And how?"

I swallowed. "I need Vision and Doctor Strange here. Then, I'll tell you."

"What do _they_ have to do with this?"

"They are how Thanos destroys half the universe," I answered vaguely, and he scrunched up his forehead.

"Who, now? And _what_?"


	5. Chapter 5 : With knowledge comes great-

So in the end, everything was quite messy.

Stark begrudgingly, _very _reluctantly tracked down Vision after asking me a millions questions that I calmly ignored. My mind was spiraling, going everywhere as I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do. I had short collections of ideas that ranged from insane to batshit crazy, and I simply couldn't organize them.

I shook my head quickly. Okay. First things first.

"How's it going?" I asked Stark who was peering at the blue holographs that I, a couple minutes ago, waved my hands through to see what would happen. Stark had given me a dead look. I had shrugged. To be honest, I had no idea what meant what in the holographs. There were random coordinates and numbers and letters that I couldn't make sense of, so I tried to just think of them as blue weirdies as I had deemed almost all of the lab as. Metal weirdies. Claw-y weirdies. And the occasional see-through metal claw-y weirdies.

"He's off the charts," He answered, kind of zoned out as he focused on the blue weirdies that were changing. He typed something furiously on the computer-like weirdy-okay I should really stop calling every thing weirdies, mm, how about _things_? At least that made grammatical sense? Ugh. _Whatever_-and the holograph surged, moving. "He disabled his trackers, both his and Wanda's." He looked back at me casually. "And I would presume you know where they are?"

Shit. My memory wasn't _that _good.

But I remembered one thing. They saw this news, in front of a shop before Vision got stabbed. Which meant whatever country they were in-

"They're in somewhere that speaks English."

He raised an eyebrow. "There's a lot of places that speaks English."

"Well, they're probably not in America. Try Europe. They're probably there."

He threw me another skeptical look and returned to skimming the holographs that were now filled with screens from security cameras. Then they started changing so fast that it was almost dizzying to look at, and I closed my eyes. "Um, what's going on with Doctor Strange?"

"I've only read his files from SHIELD, but I know where he is." There was a pause, like he was shrugging his shoulders, or staring at me or something. I didn't bother to look. "I'll head there after we contact Vis."

"_I'll_? What about me?" I frowned, and there was another pause.

"I'll admit I don't know shit about responsibilities, but I'm pretty sure I shouldn't lead a teenager around for dangerous meetings and possible fights." _That_ got me to snap my eyes open, indignation warming my cheeks. He was looking, well, pretty unreadable. "I don't know who Strange is, and I can't guarantee you'll be safe. It's better if you keep on the sidelines. Heck, I don't even want you to be here, or involved in what you say will happen. You might-"

"Dude." I gave him a blank stare, suddenly realizing that I really _did_ know what I was going to say, and do. For once, I had conviction. "I'm already involved. I'm the one who's telling you the future, and I can't just sit on the sidelines and cheer for Earth to win. I have to do something, not just for myself, but because I _can._ If people die, I'll be responsible because I could've stopped it."

I gave him a small smirk too. "And I know Strange. He's a nice guy."

He hesitated. "You know, I regret getting Peter into all of this too. That fight in Berlin. I should've never brought him there. And I feel like I'm making the same mistake with you too."

"It was Peter's choice. And this is my choice." I shrugged. "You're sometimes an asshole, but you didn't forced him to do anything. And you can _never _force me to do something, for example, not letting me come see Doctor Strange."

He sighed, half-annoyed, half-amused, and shook his head. "Fine. _Teenagers_."

I opened my mouth to retort but that was the moment the computer made a long _beep, _and we both turned our heads to the holograph. "We found him," Stark said, his fingers flying over the board. The _we_ kinda made me feel good. "He's in...Scotland."

"See? Europe!" I beamed, and he rolled his eyes. "How're we gonna contact him?"

One screen in the middle of it all showed a middle aged man I easily recognized as Paul-cough, cough-Vision's human form, and the young woman holding hands with him, Scarlet Witch. They were on a bench, sipping coffee, looking content at their surroundings. I kinda felt bad we had to disrupt them from their vacation.

"A phone call will do."

"A phone call? But-"

Stark hit enter, and the couple in the screen's heads whipped back, facing the red phone booth that was next to them. I grinned. "That's so cool."

"Why thank you," Stark answered phonily, and I rolled my eyes.

My eyes returning to the screen, I could literally see Wanda sighing, like she'd expected this day to come. She then strode over, answered.

"What do you want," We heard, and apparently Stark technology was so good that the quality of the phone call from millions of miles away was crisply good. I could hear freaking birds chipping.

"Hi Wanda," Stark answered briskly, and I realized Scarlet Witch had been on Team Cap. Ouch. Why couldn't they have worked this shit out earlier? "We need Vision back at Headquarters."

There was silence, and I could tell she was ticked off.

"He's-"

"It's a matter of life and death," Stark bluffed, giving me a look like _if you were lying I'll kill you_ and I shrug innocently like _I'm not the one saying that to her. _He narrowed his eyes. "I'll send a plane. I...I would like it if you joined." There. The olive-branch for peace.

She hesitated. "What's going on, Tony?"

He gave me another look like _I hate you _and answered, "Later, I promise."

Then they worked out the details for the plan and shit like that and my mind was left to wander again. Again and again, it all came down to _do I tell him everything or not. _I wanted to tell him. Then not as much burden would be left on my shoulders, since I wouldn't be the only person who knows, and has responsibilities. But on the other hand, if I told him, too many things would be different. I wouldn't be able to help, or guarantee anything. I had no idea if my presence here was already fucking up the entire story line.

I pursed my lips. The former option would put way more guilt off of my shoulders. The latter would guarantee a larger possibility to actually save everyone.

I sighed. I guessed by now, we all knew the moral decision. But, as always, the moral decision sucked.

"Hey." I snapped my head up and saw Stark looking at me carefully. "You zoned out over there."

"Oh. Yeah." I blinked, then deliberately put on a cheery face. "Now let's go see Doctor Strange!"

"Why are you so enthused to see him anyway?" He asked, frowning and I smirked, genuinely this time.

"He's kinda really hot."

"...You're kind of really weird."


	6. Chapter 6 : Tony's thoughts

_This chapter is from Tony's point of view. _

* * *

The first thing she said on the Maserati that Happy was driving was, "This car is unnecessarily shiny."

Tony frowned at her while Happy glanced back. "Who's the kid?" Then his face fell. "Don't tell me she's another spiderman,"

"She's not." Tony answered immediately, trying to define the relationship he had with the girl and failing. Which just showed how random and _weird _the kid was. "She's-"

"I'm just helping him with some stuff." She smiled dorkily, looking at Happy with _interest _in her eyes. The weird thing was, the look in her eyes resembled Pepper when she was meeting her celebrity crushes. That detached but _intrigued_ look. But how could she know Happy?

"O-kay? What kind of stuff?"

"The end of the wo-"

"Happy, you need a better security system. Don't underestimate teenagers," He shot a dark look at the said teenager sitting next to him and she shrugged innocently.

"I didn't even know if it was your building," She retorted and Tony raised an eyebrow.

"That _Stark Industries _logo wasn't big enough for you? Maybe I should-"

"Uh, boss, do not even _think_ of getting another one. This one is big enough for your ego. Never mind that it's seemingly growing...,"

The weirdo laughed at that, at _him, _and he sighed. "Happy, turn on some music." That was a sign for him to close the shutters dividing the front and back seat. Happy rolled his eyes, but complied.

"He's so cool," The girl said immediately when they were cut off. Tony pushed off his sunglasses.

"Why?"

"He's an actor, and a di-Shit."

"..._What_?"

"Never mind. My English isn't that good, so..." She cleared her throat. He wrinkled his eyebrows.

"Your English is perfect," He pointed out, because she was _definitely _not finishing that weird sentence about actors. She was so weird. And he had lost count of how many times he had thought that.

"_Awwwww_." The girl totally missed the point, though, and she clutched at her chest in a dramatic gesture. "That is _so_ nice of you."

Tony looked up at the ceiling, refusing the urge to yell _That wasn't what I meant _and he looked at her and she was smirking. He resisted the temptation to push her off the car.

"...You're very annoying."

"That's what they all say," She replied automatically, then shrugged. "But it's true." She blinked. "I mean, the part where I said I'm not good at English, not that I'm annoying. I'm from Korea."

"Seoul?"

"Yup. I was in New York for a winter camp. I was supposed to get back tomorrow, but..." She waved her hand vaguely at him. "This happened."

"I could still fly you back," He replied, then was half-surprised at himself that he had made the offer. He was getting soft. Offering private jet rides to kids he met today? Maybe Peter _was_ rubbing off of him. _Or,_ maybe the girl had made an impression.

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, but if I don't exist in this world, there's a high chance my parents don't exist too, so...Thanks but no thanks. I guess I'm stuck with you."

"_I'm_ stuck with you." He grumbled half-heartedly but she didn't seem to listen, staring outside the window at the passing landscapes. The tilt of her head made her look weirdly _vulnerable_, and he was again hit with the realization that she _was _a teenager. The way she talked, like she had nothing to lose and everything to fight made her seem older, almost by few years, and that had been why he had first thought of her to be at least seventeen. But then when she wasn't putting on a rebellious facade, he could tell she was younger. Maybe fifteen or so.

She was out of her world, in a situation where she was the only person who held the key to the future. She had a right to feel lonely, because she was, well, truly _alone. _

"Hey," He said suddenly, and Regis turned her head, raising her eyebrows.

"Tell me more about Doctor Strange," He demanded, ignoring the quizzical look on her face because honestly, he didn't want to feel like an asshole for her having_ that look, _that sad lonely vulnerable _young _look, even when he wasn't the cause of it. Tony acknowledged that he.._.understood_ her, to some smug part of his brain. He had felt like that countless times when he was a teenager, before and after he was orphaned.

She quirked a small smile, and pursed her lips, seemingly thinking about his question.

Then they talked. They talked about Doctor Strange, and for some weird reason, Sherlock Holmes, and then other tv shows and her friend that loved Stranger Things that she could never understand, until her face was animated, flushed even. And with her last words, _"-so never ever, watch Iron Fist.", _a show he had never heard of before, they arrived at their destination.

At 177A Bleeker Street, the registered home of one Stephen Strange.


	7. Chapter 7 : Strange feels strange

I stole a glance at Stark, while getting off the shiny car and hopping to my feet. He was acting..._weird_. I mean, he was acting _nice, _which was the weirdest thing of all time. Tony Stark wasn't a nice guy. You didn't have to watch all three Iron Man movies to figure that out.

Maybe he was deliberately being nice to get me to tell him all about the future? Ooh. Devious dude. _Not _gonna fall for that, handsome. I smirked, and turned to look at the building in front of me. It was an average looking place, but I knew that wasn't the case inside.

"Go ahead," I gestured towards the door, and Stark, still not _that _out of character, rolled his eyes, put back on his sunglasses, and knocked. Nobody answered. "Why are you wearing sun-"

The ground suddenly tilted and I blinked and we were standing in a familiar room I immediately recognized by the large round glass window. And more hintingly, the man leaning against the wall in front of us. _Doctor fucking Strange. _

I was able to control my fangirl-y self not to squeal. It was a terrible effort, and I felt run out of air so I grabbed Stark's arm. "It's him." I said breathily. Stark recoiled at my touch, and tried to brush me off. "I can _see_ that. Get off-"

"Tony Stark, the infamous Iron Man, comes knocking on my doorsteps with a..._teenager_ in tow." Doctor Strange frowned. "Can this day get any stranger?"

"Haha," I laughed weakly, and two of them stared at me. "You know, cause your name's Strange, and you just said-" I sighed. "Never mind."

"Who are you?" Strange tilted his head, ignoring what I said-which was probably for the better-, and I smiled widely. "I'm Eunseo Lee. Well, you can call me Regis. Or Regi. Or whatever you'd like." I realized I should probably stop talking now, to save myself a load of embarrassment and self-pity later on, but it was _Benedict Cumberbatch. _In the flesh. God knows how many hours I fangirled over him.

Stark was giving me this look, like he would never understand how he could be the same species as I was, and I breathed out deeply. Okay. No freaking out. Be cool. _Cooooool._

"Stephen Strange." Stark drew his attention away from me, which was again, nice of him. Probably not his intention, though. "You were an acclaimed neurosurgeon before you were in a career-ending car crash, and then you went on to become a," Stark's lips curled in distaste. "Wizard. There wasn't much-"

"_Sorcerer_, Stark. We protect the Sanctum Sanctorums, which in turn protects the Earth from other realities, evil from other worlds. Thank you for giving me a quick rundown of my _own_ history, but I must ask; why are you here?"

"Because, evil from other worlds is approaching," I offered lightly, stepping forward.

Strange narrowed his eyes. "And how old are you again?"

My jaw dropped. God, he was not a nice person. I was wounded. I suddenly thought of that Halsey song I could so relate to right now,

_They said don't meet your heroes t__hey're all fucking weirdos_  
_And God knows that they were right_  
_Because nobody loves you, they just try to fuck you-_

I mentally cleared my throat. Well, maybe not that last part. Nobody has tried to fuc-

"Don't underestimate teenagers," Stark said, and I looked at him in surprise. "I believe what she told me. Thanos is coming." He unknowingly quoted Bruce Banner.

"Who?" Strange frowned and then the ground lurched again, and we were in a library. Stark staggered, and I stepped on his foot. "_Ouch_. Stop that," He growled but the sorcerer was already looking at a book.

"I've never heard of _Thanos._ How do you spell it, with an _a_ or an_ e_?"

"An a," I replied helpfullly, mouthing sorry at Stark who still looked very much aggravated. "You won't find him in a book, though. He's coming for your time stone."

_That_ got his interest real quick. He snapped the book closed and strode towards me, his face deadly serious. "How do you know about the stones?"

"Uh, it's my superpower. I know things." Yeah, that sounded believable as when I first said it, which meant it was _not believable at all. _Strange studied my face and I smiled nervously and he glanced back towards Stark, who had his arms crossed and was looking at all the books next to and above us. Because it _was_ an impressive sight, the bookcases towering above us, but it wasn't as impressive as that face that was currently staring at me.

"You're not lying," Strange said, more of a question than a statement and I nodded.

"It's true. Thanos is collecting the six infinity stones, which he'll use to wipe out half of the universe."

"_That's _his plan?" Stark asked, incredulous. "Okay, I'll bite. What are the infinity stones, and how can it destroy half of the universe? Because, I mean, half of the universe is a lot. Not something a single guy can tackle on."

"The stones are," Strange hesitated. "The essence of our universe. Theoretically, when combined, it does have the power to destory our universe, and maybe more. This is..._troubling_."

"Yup. Since I don't want to be turned into a dust bunny, we're going to stop him. Wanna join?"

"Wait, wait." Stark put up a hand. "So where are those, _stones_ right now? And if they're the essence of the universe and yada yada, how come I've never heard of them? And what do you mean, dust bunny?"

"There are six infinity stones," Strange started, and _flash, _they appeared, the magical oval stones in thin air. "Each control an essential aspect of existence. Space," Tap, and the the blue thing glowed. "Reality, Power, Soul, Mind, and-"

"Time," I finished, as the Eye of Agamotto opened to omit a soft hypnotizing green. That thing was so cool. It was this shade of green in Slytherin wallpapers and shit, that caught your eye in a sly way and never let go.

Okay. Focus. I blinked, snapping my gaze away, and fixed it on Stark. "The space stone is in the Tesseract on Asgard, the reality stone is with the Collector, the Power stone is..._not important_-" I really didn't remember where that was. "And the Soul is on this weird-ass planet far away, and Mind is with Vision and finally, that thing over there." I pointed at the green stone, wrinkling my eyebrows. "That's really bright."

"...You know where every infinity stones are?" Strange choked out and I shrugged.

"Now you know too. Except the power stone but...you know, it's probably not a part of our non-existing plan."

He stared at me. "That knowledge probably made you the most powerful person in this universe."

I blinked again. "Um, thanks?" My face fell as I understood what that really meant, though. "Wait. Does that mean I was the most powerful _woman_ and I just threw it away for you two _men_? Oh _no_. Can we turn back time?"

"I know, she's weird," Stark told the Doctor, ignoring what I said completely, then leaned against the bookcase, turning towards me. "So, does your power let you see where Thanos is right now?"

I rolled my eyes at _your power, _but considered that. As far as I knew, Thanos already had the power stone when he showed up to kill Loki on spaceship Asgard. So really, it all depended on whether Ragnarok had happened yet. And Doctor Strange, was also _in_ Ragnarok. I grinned at where my train of thoughts had lead me, and faced Strange.

"Have you been threatened with daggers by one certain God of Trickery yet?"

* * *

The upper mentioned song is Halsey's 929. It's a great song, listen if you have the moment.

And special thanks to 이은서(Eunseo Lee), the real one, who is totally in love with me. 하하하. 하하하하하. 그만 읽으렴 네가 읽으라고 스페셜 땡스를 주는 건 아니야 ㅇㅋ? 흠흠.

And thanks to the people who are still reading this dorky fangirl shit, and the people who reviewed. :)  
In next chapter, I hope I make it to the part where Regis meets Loki cause Regis loves Loki and me too...Anyway. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8 : Stark becomes Tony

_Thank God _he said no because I really really really wanted to see Thor and Loki. I mean, who wouldn't want to see gorgeous people?

Apparently, the answer to that question is Stark, because he looked appalled at the mention of Loki. Then I remember that whole New York fiasco in the first Avengers and kinda felt bad about being so excited. But I couldn't help it. To these people that battle had been a matter of life and death but for my eight year old self, which I was back then, it had been a movie where I got to see hot people fight even hotter people. And also, it had been the start of a dominant comic-book movie industry, but I hadn't known _that_ yet.

So I stifled my glee and Strange and Stark talked about meeting up later, because it was getting late and-Wait.

"Where do..._I_ go?" I peeped up, almost feeling nervous because of the spectrum of answers I could be receiving, from _Stay with me _to_ Go fuck off. _

Stark glanced at me casually. "I thought I was stuck with you," He answered, and I almost giggled because that answer right there, was a classic example of how sweet he could be while pretending he wasn't. God. He was so hot.

"Wait," Strange broke the content moment, looking between me and the other guy. "She's on her own?"

"She's not _on her own,_" Stark rolled his eyes. "She's staying with me. I _just_ said that."

Strange narrowed his eyes. "Where are her parents?"

"Do you really want to ask that question?"

"Yes, and I would like to ask one more. How old is she? Does she have any kind of legal ability to cons-"

"I'm right here, you know?" I looked exasperated. "Why's everyone so obsessed about my age? Just call me a teenager, like adults always do."

They both gave me this really scrutinizing glance that said _just tell us, _and I sagged under the force of both of them combined. "I feel much older than my actual age, okay? I have a higher-"

"How old," Strange cut short. "are you?" He emphasized every word like I was a toddler, and I glared.

"I'm fifteen." Then I had to sigh, because it did kinda sound pathetic even to me. "...In a month."

"_What_?" Strange turned toward _Stark_ for some reason, and looked at him like he was an irresponsible asshole and then Stark looked at _me,_ like _I _was an irresponsible asshole.

"You're _fourteen_?"

"I thought you were both geniuses. You're taking this extremely slowly, though." I insulted, because I knew both of them had gigantic egos that couldn't fit in the room with each other, but it didn't seem to work.

"She shouldn't be involved in this whole mess, Stark." Strange said, ignoring me, and Stark frowned.

"I didn't know she was _that _young. I just met her today and-"

"And you invited her over to your house to stay, without knowing her real age. Great planning." The Sorcerer said sarcastically, and Stark leaned foward, his face turbulent.

"She knows _everything_. She's the only hope to stopping Thanos."

"I believe what she's saying is true, but it doesn't change the fact that she shouldn't take part in a possibility of an actual _war. _People are going to be hurt. We can't have a teenager in the battlefield."

_We already do,_ I knew Stark was swallowing back, because my mind immediately went to Peter Parker. But...Peter was different. Heck, _I_ was different.

Time to stand up for myself, then.

"There's two immediate things wrong with what you're saying," I started, reigning my thoughts in for a coherent sentence. "The first one is: there won't be a war, if we play the cards we have right. I know the future, you guys have the brains _and_ the power to make a plan and put that plan in to motion. We won't be standing in _any_ battlefields." I paused. "And second, even if Thanos comes and there is a fight, wherever I am, I will still be standing on a battlefield. Thanos wants to wipe out half the universe. Who knows if I'll be included in the lucky half or not? So, _adults_, I'm gonna do the best I can do to do what I want to do and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Right. There had been...five _do_s in that last sentence. Great. I had proven myself to have the verbal skills of a ten year old.

"Nice speech," Stark stared. He looked half-impressed and half-weirded out, which was an expression I recognized easily. All my teachers wore that face when I said _fuck you_ in a very eloquent roundabout manner.

"I have the bad feeling I'm going to say this a _lot_ of times." I sighed, rubbing my temples with my thumbs.

"...You're probably right," Strange answered, and he let out a tired sigh. "About what you said. And also that you're going to say that a lot."

"Really?" I blinked, and he ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't like it," He said, firmly, then paused hesitantly. "But you _are_ the only one who knows, and I get the feeling that you won't stop even if I tell you to, so...Just, if there's anything dangerous going to happen, stay out of it."

"Of course," I beamed. "I don't even know how to fight, and I hate pain so-"  
Wait. An idea sparked in my brain and my eyes grew wide. "Can you teach me that," I waved my hands vaguely in the air. "-stuff?"

Strange recoiled. "What _stuff_?"

"_That _stuff. You know, _magic_ stuff." I grinned at him. "It'll be really useful if I knew how to make portals?"

"Wait, you don't have to have magic genes to do magic?" Stark frowned. "Can _I_ do magic?"

"For starters, again, it's not _magic_. It's sorcery-"

"Potato potahto." I rolled my eyes, and he glared.

"And I'm not teaching you. It takes years to master the-"

"I'm not trying to _master_ it. I'm just trying to learn how to make portals."

"Again, it takes-"

I snapped my fingers. "Can I try?"

"No." He answered, sounding suspiously like a sulking teenager, and I refused the urge to roll my eyes again.

"C'mon! What's the harm? I'll probably fail?"

"..."

I held out a hand. "Pretty please?"

Yeah, he had nothing to say to that. He sighed sharply, then took off the ring, _slingring_, and dropped it in my palm. "This is _not_ because you said pretty please."

"Sure sure," I turned my attention back to the golden ring in my grasp. Okay. You put it on, and do a wavy thing, right?

I suddenly felt self-conscious. Why was I so confident about doing this? I'll probably fail and make a fool of myself. But...you had to believe that the portal would appear, right? And I believed one hundred percent. I was in the freaking _MCU_. Of course magic portals are a thing. I had the ring, and I _could_ do this.

"Focus on a specific place, or a location." Strange instructed, his calm voice familiar and soothing. "Raise your hands."

I put them in position, right in front of left, and did _not_ giggle. I instead thought about Stark's suite and it's living room, and there was a tingle from my ring finger that spread across my body and told me _something_ was happening. I bit my lower lip, smiled, and traced a circle in the air.

Fiery sparks flew and a circle grew. I maintained my focus, pushing back the urge to think _Hey! That rhymed!_

Stark stepped back, mouth open. "What the-"

"The one who taught me had to put me on Everest for me to do it." Strange muttered darkly, and Stark shook his head.

"I told you, she's _weird_. But there's something _more_ about her," Stark muttered, pursing his lips. He was about to continue, but I raised an eyebrow, lowering my hands and letting the portal fizz out.

"You realize, I can hear you?" I said, and Stark flinched.

"O-of course," He lied, and turned to Strange abruptly. "We should be leaving."

"Can I keep this?" I asked Strange, who was still looking at me with disbelief in his eyes. "I mean, it'll be helpful if I'm trying to escape from dangerous situations?"

"Ye-yes," He said seemingly from the spur of the moment, and blinked. "Wai-"

"Okay, thanks!" I stretched my hands out and waved around my arm as fast as I could without losing focus, and as the portal sparked up I turned to Strange. "Bye," I said quickly, flashing a devilish smile, and after gesturing at Stark to follow, I stepped through.

I was standing in Stark's living room, in one piece, and I grinned as wide as I could because _holy shit that actually worked and I met Doctor Strange and I can make fucking portals? _

Woah. I looked at Stark, exchanging some sarcastic or deep words with Strange on the other side-I really couldn't tell-and it hit me, I was really _doing_ this. I was living a _life_ inside the MCU. I was staying with Tony fucking _Stark_. I mean, in reality, I had just been a teenage girl wanting some adventure in her boring life. And now, I was getting swamped with it.

It was overwhelming, I had to admit. I had to focus on not freaking out every five minutes about the fact that I was meeting my crushes, or the fact that I was in a whole another world where superheroes existed. But, the one fact that freaked me out the most was that...I was still the same person.

I was still a normal girl, and I felt like I wasn't _enough_ to do the things I needed to do here. I didn't have Stark's intellect, I didn't have powers like Peter, and I most definitely did _not_ have the morality. I might act all rebellious and totally chill, but I really _wasn't_. I was very much of a control freak, I was reckless, and most importantly I was _selfish_. What if defeating Thanos came down to a decision between me and half the world? Would I really chose the MCU? I mean, they were going to survive anyway, right? And yes, some might die, but I would easily be able to come up with an excuse.

Was trying to change the future, a bad idea? Yeah, duh. There were too many variables, too many things that could go wrong. But as I said before, I was selfish. Which was why I was chasing the fun, the superheroes, the cheap thrills.

I should stop. I should really stop doing this.

"Weirdo," Stark crossed the portal, staring at the fiery circle spinning in midair. "How'd you do it?" He asked, as I waved bye at Strange looking half-pissed and let the portal disappear.

Or maybe, I should stop thinking. I should stop thinking about this and focus on having fun.

I forced a smile on my face that he watched suspiciously. "Cause I have a vivid imagination?"

He wrinkled his eyebrows. "Regis," He started slowly. "You should tel-" He paused.

"Never mind."

I recoiled. "I think that's the first time you've called me by my name." I grinned, no matter how I wasn't feeling like it. "This calls for celebration!"

Stark, no wait, _Tony_, seemed like he was going to say something serious, but he saw the look on my face and sighed briefly. "I knew your name before."

"Yeah, but still. You've just been upgraded."

"What?"

"In my head. You were Stark, but now you're Tony! Congrats!"

Tony snorted, shaking his head. "I'm never going to understand how your brain works, weirdo."

"Well," I shrugged. "I am the one and only me."

He looked at me with a gaze that was almost endearing if I could call it that, except the fact that he was looking away as quickly as he looked. "Dinner?"

"Depends. What is it?"

"Whatever you want," He said, moving towards the kitchen and I bit down on my lower lip again, fighting the urge to grin.

For real, this time.

* * *

A/N: Regi can make portals! Yay! And she's more serious I hope(?)

And Stark, no wait, _Tony_ is sweet now. 아 피곤하다. '나 홀로 그대' 보면서 팬픽을 쓰고 있는데 빨리 진도가 안 나가네...으악...빨리 로키 나와야 하는 데...혀에 뭐가 났어. 아프다.

Thank you to people still reading! And thanks for the sweet reviews.;)


	9. Chapter 9 : I have a weird dream

I had a really weird dream.

And yes, I had been aware that it was a dream, because I always dream like that. Whenever I'm dreaming, which is quite often, if I don't like the plot of the dream-although it's mostly nonsensical-I focused on doing something else, like trying to fly, or using my _superpowers._ Cause, you know, I knew it was a dream and _anything_ was possible.

Returning to my original point, the weird dream was about me, and I was chasing after a..._dragon_. And then the dragon turned into a fairy and gave me a book, which was really heavy and when I staggered under its weight, a crack opened in the ground and I was sucked into it. I remember screaming, because I'm really claustrophobic and it was _really _dark and narrow. And a voice boomed all around me, echoing _Meddling girl, I'll see you soon _and after _that_ booty call, I woke up.

I blinked at the unfamiliar ivory ceiling, my heartbeat pumping in my ears. Then the memories of yesterday came rushing into me full-front and I groaned, stuffing my head under the pillow.

I was still here. In the MCU. And I hadn't had a single idea how to get back.

Some part of me yesterday must have thought if I went to bed and woke up tomorrow, everything would have returned to normal. Maybe that was the reason I had been so hyped last night. But it had been a hopeful but useless thought.

I let out a sigh, then thought _Girl._ _Stop whining, and woman up._

I slid my legs out from under the bed sheet and stood, looking around at Stark's guestroom that I had been too tired to scan last night. Well, there were three things I could immediately see. First, it was big. _Really_ big. My adjectives need a lot of work, I realized as I trod over to the restroom.

Secondly, it was mostly empty. Just a queen-sized bed and a desk. And _finally_, it was...not my room. I rolled my eyes. Obviously. But it was still jarring, to realize that I had slept in someone else's house without my family or even a friend. I frowned. Did Star-Tony count as a friend? Nah. Not yet.

I missed my small room already. The over-crowding large desk and the green-themed bed, and movie posters that were taped to the blue wallpaper. Ugh. I was getting sentimental.

I took a quick shower, grimaced at the idea of getting in the too large Iron Man t-shirt Tony had given me last night-his sense of humor was incorrigible-and stared at myself in the mirror. Black messy hair. Dark eyes. Okay. I was presentable.

I always wished I was hotter-I mean _who_ doesn't?-but I was fairly confident in myself. Even if I wasn't the conventional beauty, I had the style and brains to make up for it. And with that note, the conventional beauty-cough cough-knocked on the door.

"You awake?" Tony asked, his voice muted, and I rushed to the door. I opened it after a deep breath, trying to seem laid back which was _totally_ how I felt. Yeah, _right_.

"I hate this shirt," I said instead of a _good morning_, and he smirked that signature smug smile.

"You look terrible in it." He remarked, and I made a face.

"Yeah, cause it's only five sizes too big." Ugh. If I was going to stay here longer than I thought, I would need to go _shopping_. Man, that was seriously not something I would have thought of if I knew I was going to hop into the MCU.

But, how do I get the money? I already felt kinda bad staying with Tony. I felt imposing, although I knew he was a billionaire and could deal with a lodger. My independence hated depending on him.

Okay. Maybe think of ways to feel less imposing but still be able to demand for some financial support? That sounded absolutely ridiculous, but I still put it on my mental to-do list which was filling up fairly quickly. On the top was the _make up a plan to stop Thanos, _which I hadn't even gotten around to reflect on. Woah. Who knew this shit would take so much work?

"You alright?" Tony snapped his fingers in front of my face and I blinked back into reality. Right. He was standing in front of me. And I was hungry.

"I'm fine, just zoned out." He didn't look much convinced, but I didn't mind keeping a mysterious aura. "Breakfast?" Then I grinned up at him, probably immediately ruining that mysterious aura.

* * *

It was earlier than I though it was, about nine, and Tony made some toast in a very domestic way while I sat at the table and pondered at the slingring on my palm. So I could make portals. How would that help? Could it work on other planets? Could I go to _Mars _using the portal? Okay, that was a dumb idea. I would die immediately. But still. How far was the limit?

An idea took place in my brain and I stood, clenching my fist nervously. I slipped the ring on and closed my eyes.

I focused on the imagery of our apartment, in Seoul, Daechi-dong and felt that tingle again, albeit weaker. I concentrated harder, thinking about the small television and the worn leather couch and the wooden cupboard and-

There it was. That electric adrenaline rushing spark spread along my body and I made a circle with my arm, watching as the portal grew large enough for me to fit.

I stepped forward and half-way across I heard _"Regis what are you-" _and I was on the other side. I looked around at the living room. Very _very _different. There was a pang in my chest as I realized that this was not my home. This was some stranger's house, not a place our family had spent last three years in.

"자기야 화장실에-" A man walked out of the bathroom and our eyes met and he screamed, loudly and a woman ran out of the master bedroom and-

I jumped back across the portal, closing it as soon as possible. The guy's scream still rang in my ears, and I let out a shaky breath. That had _not_ gone well. I hadn't thought of the instance of the house being occupied. The guy must be _so_ shocked. I felt awful. I huffed a sigh. Well, at least I learned that the portal worked on longer distanc-

I flinched when a hand tugged on my shoulder, and I turned around to face a glaring Tony Stark. "What the fu-hell?" He half-yelled and I had to stifle a laugh because he had obviously meant to swear, and he narrowed his eyes at me. "What'd you do? Who screamed?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I just possibly traumatized a guy."

"..._What_?"

"I was trying to test how far the portal reached, and I went to our house. In Seoul." I sagged faintly. "There was another family there."

He pursed his lips, seemingly reappraising the situation. "I'm sorry," He offered after a moment, and I shrugged, trying to seem lighter than I felt.

"I'll be fine." I snorted. "I still have _you_ to traumatize."

"I'm not a guy that's traumatized easily," He retorted, raising an eyebrow and I grinned.

"If you read some of the fanfiction-"

I froze like a bucket of ice was poured on me. It was like a nuke went off in my head because _What. The. Fuck. _My brain combusted into million pieces. The shock I felt then, rivaled the shock I felt when I learned that my best friend had a crush on me. And _that_ was a shock I used to think was unrivaled by _anything_. I was _such_ an idiot. I was the world's biggest stupidest-

I bolted back inside the guestroom, ignoring Tony's exasperated yells. My phone. Where the fuck was my phone?

* * *

A/N: The Korean used above means "_sweetie, the bathroom-"_

Thank you again to people reading, reviewing; I love hearing feedback and although I'm too anxious to reply, I'm reading all of them:) 은서야 넌 보조개가 있니 없니 내가 얼굴표현 할 때 넣을려고 했는데 왜 문자를 씹니?

한국에서 비지터(컴퓨터) 접속이 10명이나 있다는 걸 알고 내 충격...(나. 너. 그외 8명은 누구...?) 이 한국어로 작가 노트 쓰는 걸 그만해야 하나...한국인들 화이팅!(?)

The phone arc awaits in the next chapter, so keep reading people! And review!


	10. Chapter 10 : WandaVision

I found my phone on the bedside table, probably left by Tony after I gave my Dublin hoodie for him to launder. I mean, not for _him _to launder. The image of Tony Stark hand washing my clothes almost made me laugh, but I had bigger things to worry about, and I snatched the phone up.

I immediately went to chrome, and googled Tony Stark. Shit. Wikipedia said he was the world's richest man, owner of Stark Industries and there were a few articles about his upcoming wedding-ooh. Right. He was getting married soon-, which meant that google thought he was a real person. The internet was synced to this MCU.

Then I went to Netflix, and groaned out loud as I found that I hadn't paid the monthly payment, apparently. One thing folks, I _did _pay. Just two years from now in the fucking future.

Okay, so...The only hope left was the gallery.

I swiped through random selfies of me and my friends-ugh why were there so many?- and tried to-

"Who's that?"

"Agh!" I jumped, almost smacking Tony's face with a flailing arm. He ducked. I glared at him, trying to regain my composure.

"How long have you been standing there?!"

"Since you almost clicked that clickbait post about how Tony Stark's no longer the world's richest bachelor?"

"Oh." I blinked, almost blushing. "Congrats on that, by the way." I frowned. "Wait. Where's Pepper?"

"She's on a business trip to Italy." He waved his hand dismissively. "She'll be back in two weeks. Maybe you'll meet her."

"I hope so," I really didn't. I mean, I had nothing against the lady, but being here for who knows how long without mom or dad? That scared me. I was even starting to miss Simon, my idiotic genius brother.

He peered back at the phone screen, oblivious to my inner turmoil, wrinkling his nose. "People still use Samsung?"

"Yup." I pulled the phone away from his gaze, and pocketed it with a nervous smile. "Anyhoo...what's going on with breakfast?" I started walking out of the room, and he followed, albeit a bit skeptic. "Why's it taking so long?"

"Uh, because you keep running away from the kitchen?" Tony shook his head tiredly. "It's like you have the attention span of a toddler," He muttered darkly, and I smirked.

"You're kinda right. I used to think I was ADHD for a really _long_ time."

"What happened?"

"I took a test. Turns out I'm just really really hyp-"

"Mr. Stark?" A female voice interrupted me, and I almost jumped again, before remembering about FRIDAY. "Sorry for the interruption, but the jet has arrived from Scotland. You wished to be informed?"

"Yeah, Thanks, FRI." He turned to me. "Vision's here."

"They're here _already_?" I gaped. Wow. Things did progress really fast inside movies. My heart was suddenly stammering. I had no idea what I was going to say or do. And I was meeting _Scarlet Witch_! I had had a serious crush on her since I was in sixth grade and now I was meeting her? What the fuck should I say? Oh my _god_.

"I'm not wearing this t-shirt when I'm meeting them," I said immediately. "I have a horrible fashion sense, I admit, but _this_ is where I draw the line."

"No need to freak," He scanned the shirt again, looking like he was trying very hard not to laugh. I glared. "I'll probably have Pepper's shirt around here, somewhere..." He wandered off outside the kitchen and I sagged, grabbing one burnt toast off the dish. I pulled out my phone again.

Jesus. I still had all the posters and pictures from the movies. I stared at one particular photo of Tony Stark standing in front of the _podium_ in the very first Iron Man movie, about to say that iconic line.

_I am Iron Man. _

I munched on the bread. Why do I even have this picture? Man, I must have been a bigger nerd than I thought. But...was this helpful? Maybe, if I'm going to tell them about the whole _you're a movie character _thing. I scrunched up my forehead.

No way was I going to tell them. Never mind the definite existential crisis that they would all go through, it just sounded all so difficult in my head. Not to mention mean. My utmost priority was preventing the magic snap, and saving people. I was not going to throw this entire universe off its balance.

But still, the knowledge that I _could, _was fascinating. Maybe more fascinating than it should be, because feeling like a God was probably _not_ a moral or a nice thing.

Then my mind wandered off into religious and psychologistics of it all that would probably bore anyone that wasn't me or...well, no one, and I perked up when Tony walked back in holding a blue t-shirt triumphantly.

"Found it!"

"Great," I answered, trying to sound less nervous and more _insolent-__teenager-that'd-be-anywhere-but-here_. Time to meet a sentient robot and the amazing beautiful powerful woman that I'd been obsessed with since I was twelve.

...Maybe I _had_ been a little bit biased when I argued on twitter about how Wanda and Vision were so _not_ cool together.

But, wasn't everyone?

* * *

We waited in the living room. Well, _I_ waited. Tony hovered around, stealing craving gazes at the bottles of alcohol that lined the wall. He seemed to be weirdly anxious, in the way he simply refused to stay put and pace around like a ghost.

He was probably jittery about meeting a team Cap member. Which, reminded me that I should really work on getting the Avengers together again, which _then_ made me even more anxious about well, everything. How was I ever going to do this? I clenched my eyes shut, then opened them when a random idea popped in my head.

"This is 2018, right?"

Tony startled, glancing at me. "Yeah." He blinked. "Weirdo."

I grinned so wide as I unlocked my phone quickly, and went into the music folder. Yup. I still had everything, from 2020.

"We can dominate the music industry," I said out loud, to see if that sounded as weird as it did in my head.

He frowned. "What?"

"I have all the hit songs from 2018, 2019, and 2020. We can destroy anyone's career. Topple Taylor Swift's album. Lana Del Rey. Post Malone." My voice got louder. "Oh my god, we can actually stop Billie Eilish!"

"Who's Billie Eilish?"

"EXACTLY!" He recoiled, and I reigned in my excitement, waving a hand dismissively at the phone. "She's this really talented, really dark but awesome singer. She's so good. One of my favorites."

"...Then why would you want to stop her?"

"...Huh. You're right." I paused, then smirked. "But still, that's awesome!"

"You've literally time-traveled, and the only thing you find awesome is the music industry? What about technology? Or I don't know, even politics?"

I made a face. "Dude. Boring. Everything's like the same."

He opened his mouth to retort, but then, two people walked in the room. Tony froze immediately.

"Tony." Wanda Maximoff said hesitantly, in comfortable looking coat and jeans. Next to her stood Paul Be-_Vision, _in his middle-aged white dude form. They both looked jetlagged, tired. She had bags underneath her eyes.

"...Welcome back, Wanda. Vision." Tony acknowledged awkwardly and I could literally feel the tension palpable in the air. It didn't get any better when the couple's gaze turned to me, who was about to get off the couch but somehow managed to trip on the carpet and fall back on the couch with an _oof_. Typical. Humiliation burned my cheeks, and I coughed.

"Hi. Um, I'm Regis Lee?"

The woman's gaze immediately went back to Tony's. "What is she doing here?"

It kinda hurt, but...I mean, okay. That was a reasonable reaction for finding a teenager in Tony Stark's probably super exclusive penthouse.

"She's the reason you're both here." Tony countered, gesturing towards the couch. "Want to sit?"

"What do you mean, she's the reason? You said it was a life or death sit-"

"Um, yeah, it is." I stepped in. "I'm pretty sure you're _not_ in the lucky half of the universe. And Vision...well..." _He dies twice _but I wasn't _that _cruel to say that out loud.

"What lucky half?" Her accent was faded, but it was evident in the way she said_ half_. I winced, at what I was going to say and also how I thought her accent was super cute.

"You might want to sit down for this," I said apologetically at her narrowed eyes, and they both complied reluctantly. Thankfully, the couch was huge, curtsy of Tony's billions. They sat, close enough for their knees to touch and I threw Tony a questioning look like _do-I-tell-them?_

He frowned back, wrinkling his forehead. _You-do-you, _I think he meant. It might have been _do-not-tell-them! _but nevertheless I spilled.

Thanos is coming. With the infinity gauntlet. Half the universe turned to dust. Yada yoda yada.

I left out the most details, just telling them the most fundamental part of Thanos's plan, but even then about the time I reached the dust bunnies-cough, of course I didn't actually _say_ that to her, cough- Wanda's face had hardened into a mask that was impossible to read into.

"He wants the mind stone," Vision said, more of a statement than a question, faintly touching his forehead. I nodded.

"Yeah. So which is why we asked you to be here. You're a crucial part of our plan."

"We have a plan?" Tony asked, frowning, and I glared. He blinked. "Um, yes. We do."

"How do we believe you?" Wanda asked suddenly, and I turned to her with a lopsided smile.

"Um, with trust-"

"You can mind read," Tony interrupted me, and I paled. Fuck. Right. Wanda could mind read, couldn't she? Fuck me. How could I have forgotten that? What if she learned about the entire _you're a movie character _shit? That spelled out a load of disaster I couldn't possibly clean up.

Wanda threw him an unimpressed look. "I don't do that unless I have a reason to, now. A legitimate reason, _with permission._" I sagged with relief.

"I'm sure she'll give you permission," Tony raised an eyebrow, and I froze again. "Weirdo?"

"No okay, wait-"

"She doesn't exist," Vision murmured, and the room fell silent. I recoiled, my mind racing to comprehend what he just said. And failed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, making a face. Then I scowled. "Did you just try to mind read me? That's so weird. And wrong. But cool." I lit up. "Woah. What'd you see? What's my brain like? Am I like, a maze or something? Probably not. I'm probably like a straight road leading directly to my subconscious. Anyway. Seriously. What'd you see, Vis?"

Wanda and Vision both simultaneously turned to Tony, and he sighed after a moment of trying to look like he didn't know me.

"I know. She's weird."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the longer than usual wait! My mom's going crazy over computers, seriously...아니 진짜 회사갈 때 컴퓨터 두개랑 내 휴대폰을 다 들고가 매일. 고물상인 같아...;;;

Thank you for the F&F&R! Reviews make my day, honestly. They keep me wanting to write.:)

코로나 때문에 엄마가 이상해지고 있어 마스크에 겁나 집착함...그리고 갑자기 내 학원 끊고...ㅎㅎ개꿀...어쨌든...새벽 두시다 엄마한테 십분만 쓰겠다고 했는데...ㅋㅋ엄마 자고 있음...

I'll try to speed up the plot, but anyway, thanks!


	11. Chapter 11 : A New Hope

"When I reach out with my mind, I am able to feel your..._conscious, _or what can be described as your bubble, of thoughts. Then if I choose to do so, I can penetrate the bubble and grasp the thoughts that are at the very edge of your mind, your immediate thoughts." Vision paused. "But with you,-"

"You don't exist." Wanda said, her forehead wrinkled. "We can't feel you. There's a...vacuum, where your body is."

I frowned. "Is that...okay?"

"I've never seen anything like it," She muttered, leaning closer to me and I stiffened. Okay. Wait.

"I exist." I stated, just to, you know, feel like it. "I'm just from an alternative universe."

"Alternative universe?"

"Yeah. Can-can we go back to the plan to stop Thanos? Because this is kinda...creepy. I really exist! I'm not a robot!"

"Relax, you're too weird to be a robot," Tony assured and I wondered if that was a compliment or not. Probably not. "So. What's our plan?"

I let out a short breath. "We take the mind stone out of Vision."

The three of them stared at me. "Did I hear that right?" Tony asked, raising a hand. "We take what essentially _powers_ and _makes_ _up_ Vision, _out_ of him?"

"Vision isn't just the stone," I answered. "He's JARVIS, _you_, Ultron and also Bruce Banner. All of them mixed. Even if we take out the stone, there's going to be a lot of him left. Maybe even the better parts." I turned toward Vision. "I'm sorry for talking like I know everything about you, but I know what's going to happen, and what did happen. This is gonna work."

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Let's say that it does, as far-fetched as it sounds. But how're you going to separate the stone from him? Also, what then? What do we do with the stone?"

"We destroy it," Vision replied softly. "I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. But also, its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something, very similar to its own signature, its molecular integrity could fail." He looked to Wanda. "You can do it."

She pursed her lips, glancing at him and back at me. "How do we separate the stone?" She repeated Tony's question, and I smiled nervously.

"We ask the Wakandans."

* * *

"You need to talk to Captain America," I told Tony when Wanda and Vision were getting assorted downstairs in the spare room, probably getting a nap. They had seemed really tired.

He looked at me with a hard edge in his eyes. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

I raised my hands. "I'm just saying. You have to." _Never mind that Bucky is in Wakanda..._"They also need to know about Thanos. We're going to need all their help, if we want to stop him."

"From what I heard, I thought he needed all the infinity stones to destroy half the universe, right? If this works, and we get the mind stone out of his reach, plan thwarted!" Tony shook his head. "We don't need them."

I mentally rolled my eyes. He really did sound like an angry boyfriend that couldn't stand his ex being with his current boyfriend. Get over it, bro. Though, he did have a point. What would Thanos do if the mind stone was destroyed? Just move on?

I blinked. I needed to consult someone who had a basic grasp of the stones, and what Thanos could do with them. And...I had the perfect person in mind.

"I need to pop out for a moment," I grinned at Tony, who looked confused by the sudden change of subject.

"What? Where?"

"To the local wizard. I'll probably be back."

"What do you mean, _probably_?" He raised his voice when I activated the slingring, ignoring him with a flourish I had developed in the last twenty four hours. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but be back by eleven! Actually, make that ten."

I rolled my eyes, and gave him a wave. "See ya." He is _such _a middle-aged dude. I got why Peter was exasperated. Oh. Right. What was up with Peter anyway? I bet Tony forgot all about the boy.

I crossed the portal, making a mental note to explain everything to Peter. So much time seemed to have passed, since that moment in the elevator. God. It really felt like a lifetime. The thing was, after I realized I was really in the MCU, I had been just moving along with the random flow of my brain. I'd never had a time to stop and actually think about what I was doing.

And maybe that was one of the reasons I suddenly felt drained, standing alone in Doctor Strange's library wishing I was with mom. Mom always made me feel more energized, whether that was in a happy way or a angry way. She never let me just stay down. She snapped at me to do something when I was lethargic, and made me sit down when I was way too hyped. She was my balancing point, I guessed.

"Agh!" A man yelled, startled, and I raised my head to face Wong, the Asian sorcerer frozen in spot, eyes wide open. I smiled hesitantly.

"Hi. I'm here to see Stephen Strange?"

"How'd you get in here-" I raised my hand, and he paused when he saw the ring on my finger. "Oh. You're that girl Stephen talked about."

"He talked about me?" I tilted my head, a smirk ghosting my lips, and he nodded.

"Said you stole his slingring." My face fell. "And that you knew what was going to happen with Tha-Thas?"

"Thanos," I corrected. "Yeah. Is he here? Doctor Strange, I mean. Not Thanos."

He looked at me, again, like I was a weirdo. I was getting pretty used to that look, thanks to Tony. "...Yes. He's probably meditating," Wong started walking and I took that as a sign to follow, leaning off the bookcase. He strode out of the library, having an annoyingly quick pace that I scrambled to catch up to. My gaze all the while scanned the majestically sculptured artifacts, probably all magical, and the old paintings that depicted sorcerers battling evil. Huh. Were they like set pieces, or did they all have true background stories that just wasn't told in the movie?

Probably the latter.

We walked down the stairs. "So, meditating? Is there a room where you sit down and meditate?" I asked, half-jokingly, and he stared at me seriously.

"Of course."

"Ouch." I grimaced, but soon enough we walked into an _actual _meditation room. Woah. It was kind of like a yoga class, but there were cushions instead of mats. And Strange were sitting indian-style in the middle of it all, eyes closed and hands on knees.

I glanced at Wong. "Is his mind like, wandering? Or is he just nappi-"

"I can hear you," Strange opened his eyes, and I winced. Oops. "Meditation is not napping," He muttered darkly, standing up. I shrugged unapologetically.

"Kinda looked like it."

He looked at me impassively, and I made the most petulant childish face I could manage while still looking dignified.

Wong cleared his throat, making a noise like he couldn't waste his time standing here. "I need to check on the books," He said stiffly and left the room. I waved at his back. Grrh. I should really stop acting like a fourteen year old. I mean, I _was_, but...ugh. I was so messed up. My inner goddes-cough, of course I didn't read that-_fangirl _should have a gag or something.

"Why are you here?" Strange asked shortly. "I thought we weren't meeting until Monday. Did something happen?" He narrowed his eyes. "Did Thanos-"

"Okay, no." I stopped his running off imagination. "I just had a question. And since I obviously do not have your phone number," I shrugged. "I came here."

"You're never getting it, by the way. Not until you give me back the ring."

I scoffed. "I have other ways to get the number, you know. Didn't you tell Tony?"

"I did not."

I frowned. "Then what happens if we have to rain-check Monday? Did you plan on just popping out of the portal in Stark Tower?"

The following silence told me that was probably his plan, and I paused. "Geniuses are really overrated," I muttered under my breath, and he rolled his eyes.

"Again, I can hear you."

"It was meant to be heard."

"Did you use the portal for some other uses then getting here?" He asked. He was really bad at changing the subject.

"Yeah. Used it this morning."

"Where?"

"Korea. South Korea," I added. "I come from there."

"It worked?" He scowled. "Why are you so..."

"Awesome?"

"I meant to say powerful."

I tilted my head. "That works too. One thing though; what's the limit? What's the furthest you've gone?"

"Anywhere on Earth. Although it shouldn't have been easy for a beginner." He crossed his arms. "Are you sure your power is," His lips curled downwards in distaste. "Knowing things? Not something else? You're not from one of the sanctums?"

"Nope." I popped the p. "If I'm good at this portal stuff, is there a possibility you can teach me some other shit and I'm good at that too?"

"Nope." He answered, mockingly following the way I said it. "Because I'm not teaching you."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want kids thinking they're powerful and throwing themselves into battle."

I crossed my arms, mockingly following his stance. "But if you teach me, I'll _be _powerful. Not just thinking it."

"You said we had two months before Thanos. You can't become powerful in two-"

"I can try."

"Do or do not, there is no try."

"Do not quote Yoda at me. Do not try, either."

We stared at each other.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."

I rolled my eyes. "Just help me, Steph-en Kenobi. You're my only hope."

He bristled. "The ability to quote Star Wars does not make you intelligent, either."

"Oh yeah? You started it."

"You continued -, this is getting too immature."

We glared at each other.

"Just teach me."

He huffed an annoyed sigh. "You're not going to stop pestering me, are you?"

I grinned. "I sense a change of heart approaching."

He sagged. "Fine."

I pumped my fist in the air. Yes!

"But you have to promise you won't be using it to fight Thanos."

"I'm pretty sure I won't have a choice, Doctor...?" I frowned. "Mr. Strange? Doctor Strange? What do I call you?"

"You're horrible at changing the subject," He told me, and I scoffed. Speak for yourself, dude.

"No, but seriously. What should I call you?"

He waved a hand. "Just, Stephen. Or Doctor. Whatever you'd like."

I nodded solemnly. "Okay. I don't think I'll have a choice, but I'll try." I cracked a wry smile. "Doc."

He looked up at the ceiling, sighing. "I have a bad feeling about this," He said, looking sullen, then frowned at me. "What was the question, anyway?"

"What question?"

"The question you came here to ask."

He pointed out. I blinked. I was drawing up a blank.

"I don't remember," I answered truthfully, kinda amused. Woah. I definitely needed to take down notes. All these random thoughts were clogging my brain.

Strange shook his head. "I definitely, _definitely_ have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

A/N: So Regi is becoming the sorcerer's apprentice...huh...how did things come to that...농담이야 당연히 이렇게 되게 나의 마스터 플랜이 있었쥐...클라스

내일은 내 생일이쥐 코로나 땜에 망했쥐 아무도 못 만나쥐 글만 쓰고 있어야쥐

내 라임은 엄청나쥐

난 술취하지 않았어 바이더 웨이 근데 으윽 지루하다.

Thank you all for reading, you have my sincerest thanks! Plot is progressing, as I hoped it would, and I think something's going to happen next chapter, I hope. Ugh. None of my chapters turn out the way I want it to...

And yes, I love Star Wars, and yes, I have been too busy reading Obikin going at it like rabbits and yeah, my mental health leaves something to be desired but I'm okay. ;)

Thanks again!


	12. Chapter 12 : Life goes on

Weeks passed by so quickly, it was as if I was in a train watching the view of the countryside pass by. Everything was in a blur, and when you felt like you were finally settling in with that view, another village showed up. Or in my case, I ruined the moment by blurting out important things that Tony didn't know about yet.

...Yeah. I might've told him about Bucky and risked Iron Man flying into Wakanda hell bent.

But he didn't. That was the important bit, right? It might have been because the Doc was there to physically restraint him, and Wanda did something with her magic voodoo skills, but still. He didn't.

I got kicked out of the Tower, though. He apparently understood that even if he knew where a war criminal was, he couldn't go charging into a foreign country he had no jurisdiction over. But what he _didn't_ understand was that _of course_ I couldn't have told him earlier about the said war criminal. And of _course_ I couldn't divulge any other secrets I had, otherwise they wouldn't _be_ secrets.

Yeah. So I ended up going to the sanctum, which was fine, because the lessons of sorcerer 101 were progressing a lot quicker than what Doc had expected. I was, apparently, a natural.

Ha. At last, all the time I spent reading fantasy books paid off. Because magic was the same thing, no matter what the franchise was. Just two things mattered. Your ability to focus during a short period of time, and your imagination. And, surprisingly, I had both that.

I learned how to make mirror dimensions. I learned weird-ass incantations and spells. I learned what would piss Strange off the fastest. Interestingly, singing was on the top of that list. He couldn't stand half the songs I loved. Apparently, the only music that mattered were made long before I was even born.

He was such a boomer, but...it was kinda endearing.

I went back to Stark Tower, and there I begged for his forgiveness-more like I begged for a comfortable bed because the sanctum had horrible _horrible_ stiff cots-and I told him one thing. Well more like two things. a), I'm sorry. b), If you let me in again, I'll tell you your future kid's sex.

The door opened fairly quickly.

And no, I did not tell him. He agreed, looking nervous and anxious. My guess is that thoughts of a child of his own, pushed back any murderous intents about a certain Winter Soldier and a certain teenage girl. My plan worked beautifully.

However, Tony's plan, which was to work on separating the mind stone with _his _technology instead of going to Wakanda, was not working beautifully. He hit more dead ends and while I wanted to help him, I was sadly not a genius. But still, I spent time in his lab, keeping him annoyed and healthy. Seriously, the dude needed a reminder to go eat breakfast, because he slept like once every three days. And after having to order endless amount of take-outs, I forced him to buy a rice-cooker, because I was missing rice. I never thought I would think this, but I missed it. Almost as much as I missed my family.

And yes, I did go shopping. While the guys were too busy with the thing in Vision's forehead, _Scarlet Witch_ and I went _shopping. _My inner fangirl died. RIP.

Wanda and I got closer in the days together. She didn't care about how old I was and I didn't care that she had freakish powers, so we made a good combination. Wanda was younger than I had thought, and seemed to have missed a lot of her childhood due to Strucker's experiments that gave her the aforementioned freakish powers. So, I gave her the Normal Teenage Experience.

I capitalized that, because I had an ever growing official list. From crushing on celebrities-she loved Leonardo DiCaprio for reasons I never would understand- to the rock'n'roll concerts-apparently Halsey existed here too! And Tony got us backstage passes and I just died like five times in front of her like oh my god-and finally, getting to be grounded. Yeah. We got grounded. Well, _I_ got grounded. She's a legal adult, so she didn't get grounded.

Why were we grounded?

Well, let's just say that social media knows now the adorable face Tony Stark makes while napping and how Wanda almost dropped him down the stairs while trying to levitate him to the bedroom. Also, I have about a million more followers on twitter. Woah.

Due to this, I had to share an awkward facetime with Pepper Potts, who was trying to school her fascinated expression at the idea of Tony living with a teenager. She then, all buisness-like, made me sign an actual NDA, and all the other stuff Tony had forgotten to mention when I had started crashing in his house.

Also, PR. That had been a nightmare. My face was in the video, but no journalist could find out who the mysterious Asian girl was, and there were conspiracy theories about my relationship to Wanda and Tony. One I remember in particular was a theory that I was...*drum roll*...Tony's daughter. Wanda and I laughed about that for a long time. Hello? He's white? I'm Asian? Also, if I was really his secret daughter, I wouldn't post on Twitter about it? People were really stupid.

In the end, Tony just clarified on his twitter account that no, the girl is not an alien or my daughter or Wanda's girlfriend, she is just a friend. Who's temporarily staying with us to solve an issue. He grounded me for like an hour, before we portaled away to Doc's.

Wanda met Doctor Strange. It was super weird. But surprisingly, they got along pretty well, talking about the things they disliked about...me.

Wow. Seriously? Then, they started talking about magic and her powers and suddenly we were all in the mirror dimension and they were dueling. I sat on the sidelines, and cheered whenever someone did something cool. I cheered a lot of times.

I never did get closer to Vision. I dunno why, but we were never alone together. I was always with Tony, or Wanda, and Vision didn't talk much. I tried to start a few conversations, but he seemed much more comfortable with listening in.

I got close to Peter, though. He came over one afternoon determined to get an answer out of Tony because apparently, Happy had never answered any of his texts about me. Then I talked to him about my superpower-_"I know things." "What?"_\- and then we moved on to other more favorable subjects. He had also seen the video I had posted-everyone had watched that-and told me he had been impressed. I told him he was welcome to join Wanda and my Videos of Tony Stark club. We took another scandalous video of Tony yelling at Dum-E and Dum-E smacking him in the head. Spiderman made a guest appearance.

I also met Rhodey. We had a casual conversation, because Tony told me to keep the Thanos thing between Doc, Vision, Wanda and me. But the casual conversation turned not so casual when it lead to Tony's health, something that was weirdly a taboo subject in front of the man himself. Although he was drinking less with me around, he didn't sleep until he practically blacked out. He was always too busy, his mind occupied with ways to solve the puzzle that was Vision's mind stone. I knew that time was running out, but there was still more than a month left. We also had plan B, which was contacting Wakanda, and the genius princess there.

And we were making progress with plan A ii). Plan A i) was destroying the mind stone. ii) was destroying the time stone. iii) was destroying the space stone. You could probably guess what iiii) was.

And...this was life. I sometimes woke up in the middle of the night thinking I had had a _spectacular_ but strange dream. In a moment, I realized that it had been real. I was really here. I then debated whether this world was real or not, until my mind kept racing around in circles before I was too tired and upset to sleep.

Life. Life. Was this my life? Was I going to stay? What happened after Thanos? How was I going back? What were my family thinking? Did they know I was missing? _Life_. It had seemed so simple in the beginning, but it was such a mess now.

How could I go back to the real world with the knowledge of the real superheroes? How could I watch these movies again when I knew what coffee Tony liked and what kind of shirts Wanda hated and what songs Strange loved? When I knew they were _real_?

I hated getting all sentimental and weepy, but I was sure it was because of all the raging hormones.

But. (There was always a but.) I liked being here. I hadn't had a choice in the first place, but if staying here meant more domestic fluff and learning awesome magic and all these people that thought me as their friend, I know I could get used to this place.

But, (See?) even this calm stable life aboard this metaphoric train couldn't last forever, because time did what it did; it passed.

And movies did what movies did; it threw the audience a plot.

Or, in my case, a _Loki_.

* * *

A/N: I feel like I take out a hundred swearwords while I edit. I blame my subconscious. Because, you know, it's not actually me writing this. It's my subconscious.

코로나 때메 학원 다 끊고 집에서 놉니다. 책도 돌려줘야 하는뎈ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

읽어서 감사합니-아 영어로 써야 하는 구나

Thank you all for reading:)


	13. Chapter 13 : Asgardian Duo

"Blue Jeans."

I scowled, rubbing my hand over my forehead. I pressed the phone to my ear with the other hand, draping my body over the bed diagonally.

"Ugh. Doc. You woke me up."

"You were still sleeping? Jesus, it's like two. In the afternoon."

"Bye-"

"Blue Jeans! By Lana Del Rey."

I waited for him to say something next, but he didn't.

"What?"

"What do you mean, what? I said Blue Jeans."

"What do you mean, Blue Jeans?" I shut my eyes and tried not to yell at the dude. "Stephen, I woke up like a minute ago, and if you continue with this vague stupidness I swear I'll gonna hang up on you and never wake up again."

"You came up with the code, Lee!" He had raised his voice, but mid-way his sentence he went back to whispering. I was guessing there was someone beside him. "Excuse me for a mo," I heard him say mutedly, and I rolled my eyes, throwing a leg over my pillow.

"How am I supposed to remember-"

"Thor is here." I bolted up. "With his evil brother."

_"He's adopted!" _Thor called out from the other side, and I snorted through all the adrenaline suddenly rushing in my veins. I grabbed my pants, threw them on, and changed the hand I was holding the phone with.

"I'm coming. Just need to find a different clean...shirt-"

"You don't need to share that information, for god's sake," Strange said, and I could just _imagine_ him rolling his eyes.

"Just hold them there, and do not let Loki get away. Remember the plan?"

"Better than you remember the code," He retorted. "Just get over here."

"Yeah yeah," I hung up on him, and rushed into the restroom. Thor was here. My pulse was racing. So, after all this idling around, we were actually doing something now. _I_ was doing something. Woah, I was meeting Thor. And Loki. The Asgardians. Thor Ragnarok had been one of my favorite movies ever, and I had grown a serious crush on Taika Waititi since watching it. However, that was very irrelevant, wasn't it? Anyway, I brushed my teeth, put on a hoodie, a fancy jacket, and stepped into the sanctum's reception room.

I nodded at Doc, who was standing up instead of sitting in the armchair like in the movie. I gave him an eye-roll at his sarcastic look, and spun around to Thor, sitting on the other armchair with his mug of beer. He looked confused at the appearance of a teenager.

"Hi." I plopped down on the seat, grinning.

"Hello, Earthling." He answered, and I tried hard not to giggle. "I am Thor, son of Odin."

"And I'm Regis, Daughter of...Ana?" I was probably sure that was mom's english name. Oh right. Was I supposed to use my dad's name? This was confusing. "Anyhoo, where's Loki?"

I gave Strange a pointed look, and he crossed his arms. "I keep a watch list of individuals and beings from other realms that may be a threat to this world. Your adopted brother Loki," He faced Thor again. "Is one of these beings."

"He's a worthy inclusion," Thor raised his glass good-naturedly. I sighed.

"Doc. I thought you remembered the plan? Release Loki, I talk to Loki, he leaves the," I made a motion with my hands that looked like I was shaping a cube. "In its place and boom! Plan four i's worked!"

"It's actually three i's," Strange muttered, and I snorted.

"By now you should really get that I have a short-term memory."

"You remind me constantly," He murmured, then clapped his hands. "Fine. One God of Mischief, served right up."

We all heard Loki before we saw him. I crossed my legs as there was a yell, coming from above, not bothering to look up. There was a thud as he landed, and he raised his head with a murderous face that would've been very very scary if I hadn't watched this movie, or the entire Thor series. Poor poor Loki.

"I..have been _falling,_ for-"

"Thirty minutes, right. Got that." Maybe my long term memory was really good. Or maybe, I had seen this movie four too many times. Whatever it was, I clasped my hands together, Sherlock style, and tried to look cool.

"Hello, Loki."

He looked torn between curiosity at Ms. Mysterious and the urge to stab Dr. Strange. Luckily, the questioning look in his eyes won over and he tilted his body towards me. "Who are _you_, girl?"

I couldn't resist it. "I am your savior," I said dramatically, and pointedly did not look at Strange. God, it was as if the image of him rolling his eyes were permanently ingrained in my mind, and I couldn't help seeing it at every possible moment.

"Wha-?"

Thor burped. "Sorry for the interruption, but we have much more pressing matters at hand. We are looking for our father, Odin."

"Yeah, okay." I smiled tightly. "Can you just wait a moment, because this is really important, too. I need to have a word with your brother." I waved a hand at Strange. "He will tell you about where your father is. Won't you, Doc?" I gave him a_ pretty-please-say-yes _look that made him answer with a _you're-exhausting-and-you-own-me-a-favor _look and sigh.

"Come on, Thor." He stood and they both disapparated. I mean, I'm supposed to call it some other really long term that lost itself in my brain, but you know. Harry Potter did a much better job with spells. At least they were _memorable. _

I gestured toward the now disoccupied seat, plastering on a careful smile directed at Loki. "Why don't you take a seat?"

I was feeling pretty great about how this was going so far. I did not embarrass myself with my dead fangirlness, I didn't blurt any spoilers out, or at least any important ones, and Loki was actually listening to what I was saying. He was really hot, though. Whoa. I blinked. Focus, girl.

"Hi." I said that before. Fuck. "Um," Work, brain! Work! Why was it that the exact moment I thought this was going well, it all went to pieces? Karma was a bitch.

"What _word_ do you wish to share with me?" He asked, leaning back in his seat and looking completely at ease that I blinked again. Okay. I can do this. I was not letting this dude win in my homeground.

"I have a particular set of skills," I started, never minding that I sounded like Liam Neeson. "That lets me know certain things. Like, for instance, that you weren't the one who actually wanted to enslave Earth years ago."

He narrowed his eyes. "I had wanted to be the ruler of-"

"Let's face it. _Somebody_, whose name starts with a T and ended with a S, strung you along for it." I leaned forward. "And, he's coming to somewhat _finish_ his game."

Loki went stiff, his face paling and I briefly wondered if this had been a bad idea. Almost definitely. But then he schooled his look just as quickly as it had arrived and stared back at me with an intensity that made me want to look away. Of course, like the badass I was, I casually did. Fuck. This dude was _good_.

"How do you know these things? Midgardians are not intelligent enough to keep track of what happens in the galaxy," He said dismissively, and sent me a sharp look. "But you are not Asgardian,"

"Yeaaaah. I'm me. And that's who I am." I smiled back brightly. "Anyhoo, we have a plan to stop Thanos, and you need to do just one thing, for the sake of half the world."

"Which is?"

I took a breath. "When you see a certain Tesseract somewhere in the universe, wherever it is, you need to leave it there."

There was a beat of silence, and I winced.

"Yeah, I know it doesn't make a lot of sense right now, but please. I know what's going to happen, and I know it's going to be lot better for your personal health care plan if you just do what I say."

Loki tilted his head in that way of his, that screamed _I'm planning something and sane people should immediately run away_. Sadly, I was starting to think I was not on the sane side of life.

He licked his lower lip with a motion that simultaneously freaked me out and turned me on. "When you said you know certain things, you mean the future." He said, more of a question than a statement, and I scrunched up my face.

"Maybe...?"

"You know what's going to happen to me. My brother. Asgard."

"...Yeah." Immediately I knew it was the wrong answer, because he coiled back in his seat like a cat that had just found its next prey. I smiled hesitantly. "No?"

"You're going to tell me what happens." He drawled, and I raised my eyebrows.

"You sound very certain of that."

"You get used to being certain when you've lived for more than a thousand years." He stroked his chin. "So, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"What's the easy way?"

"You tell me the events that are going to take place in the near future."

"The hard way?"

"I _make_ you tell me."

I tilted my head. "Okay, what was the easy way again?"

Anger flashed across his face and I smirked and was about to say something when Thor and Doc appeared again, shaking hands. "Thank you very much for your help," Thor said pleasantly, and I gave Loki a lopsided grin.

"You should get going."

"This isn't over." He said in a low voice, and I smiled.

"Well, it certainly seems over. Wait." I made a thoughtful face. "I don't think you need a thousand years to be confident. How surprising."

Loki glowered, and I stood, facing Thor. "Bye, Thor. Hope you have a good luck...um...finding you dad..." Man, this was messed up. I knew he was going to pass away. But, what was I supposed to say?

"Thank you, Anadaughter." Thor answered, and looked at Loki. "Let's go, brother."

"Don't forget your umbrella," Doc pointed out, and Thor nodded, holding out a hand and we all listened to the cacophony of crashing noises. He winced. My serious, professional side was threatened deeply because I really was a moment away from bursting out laughing. Then, I realized that I would most likely be the person cleaning all the shit up. The grin wiped itself off pretty quickly.

"Sorry." Thor said, wincing, and Strange looked annoyed, but that was kind of his resting bitch face. Well, resting annoyed face.

"He's waiting for you."

Loki stood too, giving me a controlled look that was kind of...spooky. Like he was planning something. I beamed back at him.

The portal opened, Thor walking through and I opened my mouth to remind Loki to leave the space stone where it was.

And then, of course, everything went to hell.

Loki stepped through the portal, whirled around to face me and pulled out a dagger from under his sleeve and _threw_ it, all in the blink of an eye. I froze, my mind going _what the FUCK I'M DEAD_ and the dagger became a whip that wound around my wrist and as Doctor Strange shouted something-probably my name- I was dragged through like a dog on a leash.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so the Asgardian duo makes their appearance. Great. Loki is bloody hard to write.

Plot is plotting, everyone. Thanks for all the F&F&R hope more people can review! 으악 내 의식의 흐름은 소름끼치도록 재밋는거 같아 진짜 혼잣말을 줄이자,,,혼자서 웃고 있으면 사람들이 쳐다봄

오케이 내가 이 팬픽 관련 프라이빗 메세지를 받았는데 어떤 사람이 타노스의 성격에 대한 거의 에세이를 써줌 그리고 장면같은 걸 추천해주고 그러는 데 좀 부담스러움...ㅋ 그리고 뭔 소리 하는 지도 모르겠고. 어뜩하지그냥 계속 무시할까? ㅇㅇ그래야할듯


	14. Chapter 14 : Hate your face

Loki raised his hands as I fell to the grass beside him, my jaw hitting the ground and I tasted blood. I had bitten my tongue. I hated when I did that. I whipped my head up and saw him narrowing his eyes in concentration and the portal disappeared harshly, exploding out of existence.

"That should keep him for a moment," He muttered, and I staggered to my feet as Thor grabbed Loki's shirt. Exactly what I had in mind to do.

"What are you doing, Loki? Why did you-"

"She knows the future of Asgard! Of course I had to-"

"Oh look!" I said unenthusiastically. "It's Odin, the ruler of the entire _fucking_ nine realms, and your bloody _father_!"

They broke their squabbling immediately, throwing each other dirty looks.

I rolled my eyes. As much as I wanted to throttle Loki, I was all for getting the hell out of here before Goddess of Death appeared. I raised a hand to make a portal but then-

The slingring was gone. And, the leash of light thin silky something, like spider web, was still wrapped around my wrist. I turned to Loki, approaching his dad, who held his hands behind his back and the palm open so I could see the gleaming gold ring he was holding. Then he glanced back, and had the fucking indecency to actually wink. I growled, and stalked towards them.

Fuck. This was bad. This was _really _bad.

I was interfering more than I should. If I did or said something than would change the course of the movie, it actually meant that Hela had a chance to win, because of my interference. This was dangerous. All because of that unpredictable asshole.

The only hope now was the Doc managing to recreate the portal, but I didn't know what Loki had done with his stupid sorcery. Ugh, why did things have to get so complicated?

"Look at this place. It's beautiful." I did. It was beautiful. But, also, I was here against my will. So...

"Father, it's us." _And one teenager that really didn't want to be here, listening to this conversation._

Of course, I didn't say that. I stopped one step behind the Asgardian Princes, and sulked.

"My sons." Then he looked straight at me. "Miss Lee. I've been waiting for you all."

"Uh," I frowned. "You know me?"

"Everyone with a grasp of the multiverse has sensed your arrival," His gaze pierced through me like a ghost. "Some might say, your _disturbance_."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Thankfully, Thor stepped in.

"We've come to take you home, father."

Odin looked away from me then, peering over at the cliff and into the blue blue sky. "Home, yes. Your mother, she calls me. Do you hear it?"

Thor fired a look at Loki. "Loki, lift your magic." The younger man raised his hand in defense, as Odin smiled.

"Took me quite a while to break free from your spell. Frigga would have been proud." Loki seemed genuinely touched, blinking, and as all the exposition shit happened my mind wandered because how the fuck did Odin know my name?

Multiverse? Did that mean he knew this world was set inside a movie? Or that I came from another dimension? Wait, did that mean he knew how to go back to my homeworld? My pulse was suddenly racing.

"-Whatever she is, we can stop her. We can face her together," Thor was saying desperately, and Odin took his hands gently.

"No we won't. I'm on a different path now. This, you must face alone."

Jeezs, what a nice thing to say to your son. Odin let go of his hands and leaned back, turning around to face me.

"Miss Lee. I know you will face many difficulties on your road, young lady. But keep in mind, somethings are just meant to be. Do not despair, when the world does not bend to your will."

"What?" I asked dumbly.

"Life is long, and you are young. You _all_ are." Odin smiled peacefully. "I love you, my sons."

Tears welled in Thor's eyes and momentarily I was speechless, caught up in the solemnity of it all. I had a thousand questions running around in my brain, and I knew this was the last chance to ask them, but...It was also Odin's last chance with his family. Last moment. I suddenly felt like an intruder.

"Look at that." Ethereal beams of sunray streamed down upon the ocean. "Remember this place. _Home_."

Odin dissipated into glittering stardust, flowing into where the sky and sea met seamlessly. The Allfather was gone.

There was a beat of pregnant silence, and then Thor clenched his fists and the sky darkened, the wind picking up. I knew what was going to happen next. I also knew I was very very screwed.

Shit. Hela. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I almost felt another panic attack coming on, because Hela could literally kill me. Cate Blanchett was super hot, but Hela, on the other hand, was a murderer. She literally destroyed Asgard's army in five minutes. She probably could do me in a second.

"Brother," Loki said carefully, but Thor faced him, his hands crackling with electricity.

"This was your-"

"Stop fighting. Hela's coming." I said sharply, rubbing my palms together and creating a fiery whip out of nothing. That was one of the first things I had learned from the Doc. Ugh, where was that dude when you _needed_ him?

The two guys glanced at me and then sickly green light shined from behind where we were standing. Blackness molded together like oil, and the guys did their transformation thing into their armors, lightning blasting near me. I ran my mind through spells and incantations I could use. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of them.

Instead, I took a deep breath, calming myself as a dark portal opened and Hela passed through.

She was gorgeous. She was terrifying. I was kind of in love.

"So he's gone?" She took a moment, tilting her head. "That's a shame, I would've liked to see that."

Her voice was low, deep. It was nothing like seeing or hearing her through a screen. _This_ Hela, this third dimensional Hera was even more scary than my mom had gotten when she found out I had ditched all my academies and gone to see a movie.

"You must be Hela," Thor said, his voice wary. "I'm Thor, son of Odin."

"Really? You don't look like him."

"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement?"

"You _sound_ like him."

Okay, this was all going according to the script. Maybe I could like shuffle away? Maybe she wouldn't notice the tiny girl-

"Who are _you_? I'm guessing you're not his daughter," She looked vaguely amused, and I blinked, the whip disappearing.

"Um, of course not." I said quickly, and paused. "I'm nobody, to be honest. And so can I just disappear? Before you tell us to-"

"Kneel," She must have lost interest half way through my sentence. Life sucked. If I was hot, would she have like noticed me more? Maybe if I was older?

"Beg your pardon?" Ever the polite one, Loki asked, and Hela generated a pointy looking blade right out of nowhere. This was _not_ going well.

"I said _kneel, _before your queen."

I was all ready to kneel, but Thor had other ideas.

"I don't think so," He grunted, and before I can yell that's not a good idea, he threw his hammer right at her. And, you all know what happened next. Hela destroyed Thor's hammer hela quickly and when I was staggering to stand upright through the shockwave, Loki, stupid Loki, yelled "Bring us back!" and there was light.

The rainbow bridge.

You know, the most annoying part was that I was actually relieved, sure that this entire shit was over and that the Bifrost were going to take Thor and Loki and Hela away. I was sagging, thinking _how the hell am I supposed to get back to New York now_, when my wrist wrenched upwards and I cried out in pain as I felt like my left arm was tearing off from my shoulder, dragging me inevitably into the Bifrost.

It was hela weird inside the rainbow bridge, but I couldn't focus on any of that as I realized my shoulder was dislocated, jerked out of its socket. It hurt like hell, white hot pain engulfing my entire arm.

My eyesight was blurring as I tried not to scream, because Loki was still dragging me-probably unintended-along and he kept jerking on the rope as he fought Hela, sending daggers of pain through my arm. I gritted my teeth, trying to think clearly through the agony, and reached up with my right arm and grabbed the silky rope. It took the weight off my dislocated shoulder, and the burning pain lessened.

But then, of course, that _had_ to be the moment Loki was knocked out of the Bifrost and took me with him.

Everything was pitch black. It was so _so_ cold and I literally felt my eyeballs freezing off, so I closed them immediately. I instinctively knew I was in space, and before I could draw another breath the rope tugged, and I was falling, suddenly, into bright air.

Falling. Falling, freefalling and I was able to catch sight of the colorful space wreckage that was not going to bode well with my head that was going to hit it and my brain scrambled for a way to not go _splat_ and-

Oh right.

I was a sorcerer, weren't I?

"I summon forth the shielding powers of the Vishanti." I muttered hysterically, barely six feet away from the ground and I hit the blue force field, letting it absorb most of the impact. I bounced off.

Still, it hurt like fuck when I hit the ground with the wrong shoulder.

Black spots swam across my vision and I almost passed out, the pain overwhelming me. I had broken my arm once, but that was nothing compared to what I felt now. My left arm was numb, except for the throbbing pain. I couldn't move it.

Fuck. Fuck. This was _really _bad.

I fought off the urge to lie down and just stay there, because I had to move. I was pretty sure we were in-

_We_. Fuck, Loki.

I somehow managed to sit up, and looked around. I was in a pile of trash. Really _awful_ smelling metallic garbage. I wrinkled my nose, held my left arm close to my side, and got to my feet. The fucking leash was still wound around me. I followed where the rope lead, and sighed, when I stopped in front of Loki.

He had his eyes closed. Probably unconscious.

I nudged his side with my foot, gently. He didn't move.

I kicked him, not so gently, and he cracked his eyes open. "Ow." Loki blinked, then narrowed his eyes at me. "You're alive."

"I hate your face," I told him. "I hate you. This is all your fault. I'm going to-"

"Where are we?" He interrupted my rant, sitting up, and I clenched my fist, really really wanting to punch him in the face.

"Sakaar. The home of all lost and unloved things," I spat sarcastically. "And you, have ruined my plans. All of them. All through A to H. I hate you _so_ _much_."

* * *

A/N: Okay I'm on a roll here.

라나 델 레이를 사랑해 시리어슬리 꼭 노래 들어봐. 아무나. '브루클린 베이비' 좋고 '러브 송'. '두잉 타임', 그리고 '호프 이스 어 데인저러 워맨 라이크 미-버트 아이 해브 잇'. 진짜 노래 거의 다 좋음


	15. Chapter 15 : A deal is made

"So get up," I tugged at the rope, grimacing.

This was bad. Swearwords couldn't cover how _tremendously_ bad this was. Loki couldn't get off Sakaar until Thor arrived and they escaped through the Devil's Anus, which meant that I was stuck here for _weeks_. With Loki, of all people.

And yeah, he managed to survive this place by getting in the Grandmaster's good graces, but he was a literal _God_ with a silver tongue. I was just a kid who knew the future. What if I actually got killed? What if the scrappers caught us and deemed me as food? Or worse, made me fight in a stadium? I was _so_ not ready to become a gladiator.

The only hope for me right now, I could see, was staying with Loki. Sticking by him, so I didn't get brutally murdered or eaten. He survived, right? Maybe I could follow his footsteps and it would all work out fine. Too bad I didn't think of this a moment earlier, when I told him I hated his face.

Loki sat, looking up at me. "What is _Sakaar_? And what do you mean, your plans?"

"We, well _I_ had a plan to stop Thanos and save a lot of people." I scowled. "I didn't exactly expect you to throw a hitch in it."

"Always happy to disappoint," He answered and I went to cross my arms and grunted, as pain lanced through my body. Shit. Ah, _fuck_. I probably had to set my arm.

"Are you hurt?" He said uncharacteristically carefully.

"Maybe," I retorted. Okay, first things first. Get off this wasteland, meet the Grandmaster, and guarantee safety for us. Then, I could go looking for a doctor. Were there even doctors _in_ this place? There got to be, right? I was hopeful. "Let's go,"

"Go where?" Loki questioned, but I was already walking past him. I saw colorful architectures above the piles of waste, the tell-tale sign of a city. I was sure that the tallest building with faces on it was our goal destination, where the Grandmaster was.

Then, maybe, I could bribe him with information. Ugh, but I had to admit, I didn't have much information that could interest the Grandmaster. He probably didn't care about Thanos or the mighty heroes of Earth.

But _Loki_ did.

And I could _definitely_ bribe Loki.

I stopped in my tracks, whirling around and he almost bumped into me, a scowl etching across his pretty face.

"What now-"

"I'll tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"The future. But you have to keep me safe."

He tilted his head in question and I flicked the hair out of my eyes. "This place is dangerous. Probably not for you, but probably for me. And so if you protect me, I'll tell you what you need to know about the future." I made a finger-gun and shot it at him. "A one step guide to how to survive Thanos."

Loki raised his chin. "And I would need that because...?"

I smiled automatically. "He kills you." And then the smile dropped because, whoa, I didn't mean to tell him _that_. "I'm sorry," I said immediately, but his expression was already...slack. He took a step back, and bit his lower lip.

"Well. I would've liked to say that was a surprise," Loki sighed. "But it really isn't."

I winced.

"And you're telling me you can help prevent my very timely demise," He said, with a certain vulnerability in his eyes and I nodded.

"Yeah. If you hold your part of the deal, and help me live through this whole fucking fiasco."

He wrinkled his forehead, probably at the swearword, and considered me for a moment.

I considered him right back. Although, I was pretty sure I was doing it wrong. Ogling was bad, right? I blushed, looked down at my shoes.

"Fine." He said finally, and I bit back a grin.

"OK. Great."

Awkward silence.

"Um, we have to go find the Grandmaster now."

"Grandmaster?"

"He's the guy who runs this place." I shrugged. "I'm hoping we can earn his favor, and then stay with him for a while?"

Loki blinked. "You're _hoping._"

"Well, yes."

"...For a person who supposedly knows the future, you don't know a lot of things."

I made a face. "I know important things, not every little detail." I huffed, then turned away. "Let's just mov-"

"Wait," He grabbed my wrist, luckily the right one, and turned me back around. "Give me your arm."

I frowned. "What?"

"Yeah, cut off your arm and give it to me." He said sarcastically, then rolled his eyes. "I mean, _raise_ your left arm."

I swallowed. "I can't. My shoulder's-"

"Dislocated," He said, lightly grabbing my left hand and squeezing it. I recoiled, then almost gasped as something started _happening_ in my body. It was a peculiar sensation, like ants crawling all over my shoulder and he said some words, an incantation of some sort, and the bone clicked back into its place. I winced, but it didn't feel painful. It was just mildly uncomfortable.

"Ow." I said, as he let go of my hand, taking the leash thing and with a snap of fingers, making it disappear.

Loki shrugged, under my questioning gaze. "It was somewhat my fault," He muttered and I snorted. But _somewhat_ was progress, I guessed. Even if it was _all_ his fault.

Maybe there was hope yet. Maybe I could actually survive this adventure and reform Loki as I did. I grinned.

* * *

Nope. No hope.

I watched as Loki _decapitated_ two of the aliens that threatened to abduct us and sell us as slaves, and drop their bodies on the ground.

"Anymore future kidnappers?" He asked out loud, and the assembled crowd dispersed, leaving us a pretty wide berth. Loki flipped his daggers in the air, and sheathed them.

"Dude." I gave him a look, stepping over a dead body. I refused to look down. "You can't just..._kill_ people."

"I just did," He answered, and strode on. "We're almost there, come on."

"Then could you just possibly _warn_ me before you go all ninja on me next time? I mean, I almost had a heart attack." I grumbled, and he flashed me a very insincere smile.

"Next time, I'll leave you to be kidnapped. Can't have you almost having a heart attack, can we?"

"Haha," I said, rolling my eyes. "I would have been fine, even if you weren't here. I have secret ninja moves too."

"How impressive."

"Don't say it so...dryly," I muttered, and he ignored me. Typical.

But he was right. We were almost there.

Maybe the nerves were making me jittery, but I was feeling way more hyper than usual. I wrangled my hands as Loki lead the way, pushing past some chatting aliens in the tight alleyway. Some stared at us, probably because we were such obvious outsiders, and some ignored us, probably dismissing us as unimportant. I liked the latter sort better.

We had been walking for almost two hours, but it had hardly been boring. Loki was such a mysterious figure although I knew all there was to about him, and our conversations were certainly kind of _interesting_. It also kind of always ended when he ignored what I said. Which was slightly annoying, but not if he thought _I_ was annoying.

Maybe. Probably. Definitely.

He stopped, and we stared up at the tallest building in the entire city. It looked _insane_. Literally, insane. The one who built this was not a normal person.

But it wasn't ugly. It wasn't exactly pretty, it was...

There was no word to describe it.

"Well." I glanced at Loki. "Certainly seems like the Grandmaster would have at least one room for us."

"We're not sharing," He answered, and I rolled my eyes, refusing to blush.

"That wasn't the point."

He stalked forward, entering the place with a flourish, and I followed him, almost tripping and falling on the ground next to the door. Ouch. Fuck. I was lucky the ground wasn't cold marvel. Marvel. Ha. I snorted, raised my head, and saw Loki looking at me with a simultaneously amused and pained look, like he was staring at a puppy that was doing something stupid.

"Do you need me to _carry_ you?"

"Shut up," I retorted weakly, and got off the ground. "I'm just trippy." Was trippy a word? I wasn't sure. "So. Which floor do we need to go?"

"Let's see." Then Loki suddenly grabbed a passer-by, who had two horn thingies on his head and was completely green. Green, like fresh grass. The color was fascinating.

The man, well _alien_, whipped his head around. "Hey! Let me go-"

"We're looking for the Grandmaster. Where do we find him?" Then Loki smiled that signature menacing smile that was yes, scary as heck.

The alien sobered up pretty quickly. "Take the elevator. Top floor."

"Thank you," Loki said curtly, and was striding away before I could even blink. I mouthed a _sorry_ at the alien, and caught up to the dark haired man with a groan.

"I thought you were supposed to be charming," I muttered, and he smiled at me.

"My charm is reserved for those who warrant it."

I smiled back automatically, then frowned. Wait. Did that mean I warranted it, or not? We were on the elevator before I could ask that _stupid_ question. Because, a moment later, I realized I didn't _need_ his charm. I needed his badass side, so he would cut up a striking figure for anyone who wanted to kill us. Like a bodyguard.

Huh. Loki as a bodyguard. Sounded like a particularly horny fanfic.

The elevator opened with a ding, and I paused. Music. Loud music. We were in a...club?

Loki looked at me, and I shrugged. "I remember that the Grandmaster was a party...boy? Man? Alien?_ Party alien_?" I said with wide eyes, and immediately started laughing. He seemed unimpressed.

"Lead the way," He gestured, and I hopped off the elevator, a dope grin on my face. I was right. We were in some kind of a bar slash club slash party, and the Grandmaster in all his glory was _DJing_ in the center of the wide room. I recognized this from the movie, the room where captured Thor met Loki.

I just hadn't known there was an elevator here too.

"What's our move?" I asked loudly to be heard, once we were in the corner of the wide space, and Loki hesitated.

"We party."

"What?" He grabbed two glasses off the waiter who was drifting around, and handed one to me. I took it, and stared at the liquid. Definitely alcohol. "Why are you giving this to-"

"We'll wait for the right moment, and approach the man. Until then, mingle."

I made a face. "I suck at mingling. Just look at my face. And my clothes. Do I look like a party alien?"

He looked up at the ceiling like he was exasperated, then narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers. I wrinkled my eyebrows. "What was that supposed to-"

"Look down."

I did, and my breath caught. I was wearing a dress.

Once I realized that, I didn't look further. I smacked Loki's arm.

"I hate wearing skirts."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine." He snapped his fingers again and I was in an informal suit, a dazzling purple jacket with a black shirt, and tight black pants. I tilted my head.

"Not bad." I pursed my lips and felt something weird on my mouth, and my jaw dropped. "Did you give me _make-up_?"

"You look like I just gave you a tattoo or something," He pointed out. "It's _just_ make-up."

"This is so weird," I craned my head around to find a mirror, and failed. "You didn't make me look silly or something, did you?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "You look fine. I could almost say you're-"

"Pretty?" I grinned and he paused.

"Stop grinning. You look demented."

He walked away, and I rolled my eyes. Right. Mingle.

"Hi," A woman tapped my shoulder and I turned around to face a beautiful chocolate-skinned woman, who, surprise _surprise_, actually looked like a human female. I smiled back nervously.

"Hello."

"Newcomer, huh?" She clinked her drink with mine, and took a sip. "These parties will tire you, dear, if you just stand around doing nothing. Better drink up before you realize you're on Sakaar."

I blinked. "Is it that bad here?"

She laughed, a pretty tinkling sound. "Oh, you're funny. Here, let me introduce you to my friends over here."

And I was swept away, in the mess of awkward hi-s and laughs and drinks and music and dancing. And at some point, I started wondering if the DJ was playing a Taylor Swift song, but I couldn't get a finger on which one it was. The one with the ex.

Blah. There were too many of them.

* * *

A/N: Eloquent ending, as always.


	16. Chapter 16 : I'm not his mom

"So, Janan." I grinned. "How old do I look like?"

"Hmm, why?" She asked back playfully, and I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just asking."

"We don't do age here in Sakaar," Morven, one of Janan's friends with tentacles, slurred. I had no idea if he spoke like that because he was drunk, or because he was an alien. Maybe a little bit of both.

"But I've been here for only a day!" I protested, brushing my shoulder with Janan's. "You could try to guess?"

"Okay." She said, and tipped my chin downward. "I'm thinking, two hundred?"

"Nah, she looks way younger than that!" Janan's other friend, the one whose name sounded like...Kevin, but wasn't. I honestly didn't remember. He had scales, instead of skin, though. "I'll go with a hundred fifty."

I nodded slowly. "You guys have no grasp of a human's life span, do you?"

"You're human?" Janan asked excitedly. "I've never met a human before!" She slung an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. "How old _are_ you?"

I stuttered, because I was pretty sure she was flirting. My brain processors just stopped on that thought. She was _flirting_ with me. What do I do? What do I do? What do I-

"I think it's none of your buisness," A low voice said, detaching her arm from my body.

"Who are _you_?" Janan asked, eyes narrowed, and Loki smiled coldly.

"Loki Laufey-"

"I meant, what do you have to do with Regi?"

He glanced at me. "I'm her..." He waved a hand in the air. "Acquaintance. Guard, I guess you can also say. So if I could borrow Miss Lee for a moment?"

He wasn't exactly asking, of course. Loki held my elbow and lead me away from the group, as I mouthed _Catch you later _back at a disappointed Janan.

"Wait-wait. Where are we going?" I planted my feet on the ground once I realized I had no idea where Loki was going, and he looked genuinely annoyed, letting out a deep breath.

"Keeping you safe, as per our deal?"

"Safe from what? We were just talk-"

"Don't you have eyes? She's clearly-"

"Flirting with me. What wrong with-"

"Everything! She's a Crengarian!" He said in a hushed angry voice, and I blinked.

"Can we backtrack? Because I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

Loki snorted. "Of course you wouldn't know what a Crengarian is."

"Enlighten me, then." I spat out.

We stopped, next to the windows, a safe distance away from Janan and her friends.

He sighed. "Crengarians are-"

"NEWCOMERS!" A voice boomed from the speakers and again, I almost had a heart attack. I hiccuped. "Join the stage!"

We shared a look.

"I'm guessing that's us?"

He lead the way to the Grandmaster's stage, my hiccuping refusing to die down. It would have been super embarrassing, if it wasn't super annoying. But I guess it was a bit of both.

The Grandmaster looked dapper as always, a blue line down his lips and onto his chin and a gold robe that shined in the spotlight. His faithful sidekick, Topaz was by his side like a typical faithful sidekick. I eyed the melt stick in her hands. I did not want that to be used on me. I hiccuped again, and clutched at my mouth. Fuck this.

"Hi, guys." The Grandmaster said cheerfully. "Enjoying my party?"

"Of course," Loki answered. "Thank you, Grandmaster, for letting us take part in this joyous occasion."

The Grandmaster giggled. "Oh, he talks pretty," He said to Topaz, who merely grunted in response. "I like you. What's your name?"

Loki looked slightly bedazzled.

"Loki Laufeyson. We have a favour to ask you however," He started, and the older man nodded.

"Mm?"

"We hadn't exactly planned our arrival here in Sakaar, unfortunately. So, we don't have a place to stay for a while. We were hoping-"

"You can stay." The Grandmaster waved his hand dismissively. Then, he paused. "I heard you killed two of my people on the streets."

Loki stiffened, and I hiccuped. "Excuse me," I muttered.

"Yes...?" Loki answered carefully, and the Grandmaster, after a very scary moment, grinned.

"Thank you! I had been meaning to serve them death by the melt stick over there, but they escaped my clutches about a week ago. So, I owe you one. You can stay as long as you'd like!"

"Oh, thank God," I sagged, and the Grandmaster turned to me.

"And who are _you_, beautiful one?"

I beamed at the praise.

"I'm Regis. Lee."

"And how are you two connected? Is he your father? Boyfriend? Son?"

I made a face. "Do I look old enough to be _his _mom?"

He wriggled his eyebrows. "Appearances can be deceiving,"

Okay, no way did I look like Loki's mom. The Grandmaster _was_ a really weird person. "I'm not his mom. Or girlfriend. Or daughter. He's just my..." I glanced at him, and smirked. "Bodyguard."

He gave me this murderous look that had me grinning, and the Grandmaster nodded. "Okay, okay. Get us some drinks!" He yelled to another waiter that was passing by, and a glass was shoved into my hand. I hiccuped again, glaring at the glass.

I mean, I wanted to try it. But I didn't know what alien booze was like. What if it was like drugs, and you couldn't get over the taste or something? What if you got addicted?

I was too young to waste my life becoming an alcoholic.

That was the reason I had given my previous drink to Morven, who had gulped it up vigorously. But now, with the Grandmaster staring expectantly at us...

I leaned to Loki. "Isn't there supposed to be someone that checks your ID?" I whispered.

"ID?" He murmured back.

"I mean, your age. What if I'm like a minor or something?"

"Who cares?" He threw back the drink, then frowned. "Wait, are you?"

"What are you whispering about?" The Grandmaster asked, leaning forward, and I hiccuped. I remembered that line from the movie. The older man turned to me. "Well, how old _are_ you?" I guess he had been listening.

I was not saying fourteen. I mean, Loki was over a thousand years old. If I said I was fourteen, I could just imagine how he would react. A disbelieving smirk, and then he would never listen to what I say again.

Nope. Not going to happen.

"I'm 226 years old," I said blankly, and Loki shrugged.

"You're not a minor, then. Young, but of age."

226 was young? Wow. Bloody _Asgardians_.

The Grandmaster smirked. "Don't worry about your age. On any other world I'd be like, millions of years old. But here on Sakaar..." He drifted off to a confused silence. I shared a look with Loki.

"You look really young," I told him, because, I mean, I saw this movie five times and still think he's cute. He _is _cute. Just mildly terrifying to be around for real.

"Thank you," He said, again, wriggling his eyebrows. "I'll let Topaz show you to your room, then. You can always come back to the party. Mondays are orgies, Tuesdays are parties, and Wednesdays are..." He shrugged. "I think they're orgies again."

Loki smiled somewhat forcefully. I was pretty sure he had no interest in orgies. Maybe he did. Probaby not. What _are_ orgies, anyway?

The Grandmaster started tapping away at his keyboard. "Oh, and Topaz. Give them the room next to the champion's. Also, make sure they have clearance. We don't want our guest to be electrocuted to death like last time, right?" He winked at Loki, and I hiccuped again. Electrocuted? Seriously?

Topaz lead the way out of the room, using another elevator this time, and I heard the music get louder behind our backs. I dropped my glass on a waiter's plate just before the doors closed. Maybe I'll get my alcoholic experience next time, preferably with responsible adults around. Compared to Loki, even Tony was a responsible adult.

God, Stark. Wanda. Strange. I just disappeared on them.

I bet Tony and Stephen were fighting now. They were almost always fighting. I winced. Tony was probably blaming Strange, and Strange was probably blaming Loki. I glanced at Loki.

He wasn't bad. I mean, he kinda was, but at least he wasn't to _me_. Because he needed me. He wanted to live, and I was the key. I think that meant I could trust him. Hopefully.

An idea flashed into my mind, and I nudged his arm. "Can you give me the slingring back?"

He glanced at me. "Earth is too far to use it."

"But still," Loki handed me the ring, and I slipped it on.

I focused, then cried out immediately as a piercing headache hit me. I staggered.

It was impossible. I couldn't even feel a tingle, just a overwhelming headache that disappeared as soon as I stopped trying to locate Earth. I opened my eyes, and saw Loki looking smugly at me.

"Told you."

I sighed, too tired to even think up of a clever comeback. I just wanted to crash. Preferably in a bed.

The elevator stopped, and we followed Topaz down the corridor. I realized, dimly, that we were on Hulk's floor. The biggest room down the hallway with two guards outside was Hulk's. Well, Bruce Banner's.

Ugh. I could feel another headache coming on as I realized next I probably had to try to turn Hulk back to his human form. And contact the Valkyrie, and try to get her on our side. All without getting electrocuted or eaten or becoming an alcoholic.

Life sucked.

"Wait," I said to Topaz who stopped in front of a door right next to one of the power ranger guards. "There's only one room?"

She looked at me unimpressed. "It's a big room."

"Uh, we're two people."

"You said he was your bodyguard."

"But I didn't mean-"

"The room's passcode is 0000. You can reset it." Then she walked away. I made the universal gesture for _what? _with my arms to her back, not daring to look at Loki. I could just _feel_ his glare without looking at him. Fuck.

"I get the bed," He muttered after a moment, and punched in the code. I rolled my eyes, as I followed him into the coop.

"As long there's a couch," I answered, and paused once I actually had the room in sight.

Topaz was right. It was a big room.

The bed was huge, the couch was huge, and that was it. Nothing else. The emptiness emphasized the size of the room. There was another door, probably a bathroom, on the right side of the bed, and the left wall was all glass. The color theme was horrible, red and white, but aside from that it was a nice space. I could imagine spending a few weeks in here. It would be boring as hell, but still.

Better than dying horribly. I plopped down on the couch, looking out at the scenery.

It was messy. Spaceships flying around without coordination, and I could see the wasteland over the city. Thor found the Quinjet in there, I remembered. The part that sucked was that I couldn't even do anything with that information. I had to wait weeks for Thor to actually appear and find that ship himself. I hated feeling useless, dependent.

But, the situation demanded it.

I lied down, using an arm as a pillow. "It all worked out," I said out loud.

"Specifically _because _I killed people."

I snorted. "Yeah. I didn't see that coming."

"Well. A few decapitation never did anyone wrong." _Aside from the ones who lost their heads. _"We're not staying here forever, are we?"

"Of course not. Thor's going to be here in a few weeks." I sighed. "Until then, party on, Loki."

"Aren't you coming with me? I'm going to go socialize, try to find a ship or some clothes." He paused. "I don't need you, per se, but...it would be helpful."

"Sorry, I'm properly tired." I turned my head to grin sheepishly at him. "But, do get me some clothes. I think you know my size, right?"

He rolled my eyes. "Not because I wanted to."

"Yeah yeah." I shooed him. "Go along, then. I like black. And navy. Do _not_ buy me pink."

And I _knew_.

I knew immediately, from that glint in his eyes, that all the clothes I was going to get from him were _pink_.

Hey! My hiccuping stopped!


	17. Chapter 17 : Day 7 on Boringland

"Got me spinning like a ballerina," I hummed, doing a little spin and tripping on the couch. I laughed to myself, and continued singing. "Feeling gangsta every time I see ya, you're the king and baby, I'm the queen of disaster, _disaster_."

Loki shoved his head under the pillow.

It was Day 7. A week has passed. And nothing, seriously _nothing,_ has happened.

Loki kept partying, of course. He got back to the room _way_ past midnight last night, which was why he was still sleeping.

Well, _trying_ to sleep.

"Got me spinning like a ballerina, you're the bad boy that I always dreamed of. You're the king and baby I'm the queen of disaster, disaster." It's a pity my phone ran out of battery two days ago. Now that I couldn't listen to music, I sang it.

And he hated it.

"Dude!" I called out, refusing the urge to jump on the bed like a little kid. "It is way past morning!" He ignored me. I got used to it. Like I got used to be locked up in this room.

I didn't go out often. Just to get food. I was a bit too scared to leave the room.

But I did go to the contest of champions alone, and almost got trampled by the crowd. I saw Doug. Hulk killed him. Sakaar was a bit of a depressing place.

I gave up on trying to talk to Banner after seeing the fight because I didn't want to end up like Doug. But, I didn't give up on trying to find the Valkyrie. I even learned her name. Scrapper 142. She was a difficult figure to locate.

I still had the Grandmaster promise me that he'll tell her to come meet me if she was ever in the building. I had no idea why the guy was so cooperative, but I got the feeling he and Loki had something going on, aside from the constant partying. Something inappropriate. I did _not_ want to think about whatever that was.

But still. If it had me fed and alive, I wasn't going to protest.

Boredom was one of my issues with Sakaar. Because seriously, this place had zero neutral ground. Everything was either dangerous as hell, or boring as hell. At first, I had tried to get on by partying like Loki did, but it just wasn't my thing. Besides, watching drunk people do stupid things got boring by Day 2.

So I stayed in our room. I even managed to pick up some alien books, but they were all in alien languages, aside from the pictures. I was pretty sure one was a steamy romance novel about two aliens with tentacles for hands. Or maybe the tentacle wasn't a hand...

I shuddered.

Okay, no. "Wake up. I'm bored." I plopped down on the bed.

Loki also mostly stayed in the room before evening. I was pretty sure he had nothing to do too, although he _acted_ like he had a lot on his plate.

We talked a lot. He taught me how to use a dagger before I almost cut off my own hand. He quit then, calling me a horrible student.

Then he taught me magic, and I now loved seeing his eyebrows rise, impressed. I was so good at magic.

Asgardian magic was wildly different from the Doc's teachings. Loki had much more raw power than Strange, probably because he wasn't human at all. So while the Doc focused on channeling his magic with spells and incantations, Loki worked on his innate magic _itself_. Improving it, manipulating it, and on and on.

And apparently, I also had much more power than an average human sorcerer. I even had a theory to explain it. I was sure since I'm from another dimension where magic doesn't exist, I was an empty vessel when I first arrived in this world. So when I focused, I drew an abundance of power from this world directly.

It was a nice theory. Too bad Loki thought I was wrong. He just thought I wasn't human. No matter how I told him I was, he refused to believe me. He was such an idiot for a clever guy.

So the point was, I was actually powerful now. I could _fight, _now. Loki taught me the combat magic the Doc had explicitly told me not to even think about, and I now knew the six fastest way to neutralize an enemy with magic. Or, as Loki would say, the six fastest way to _kill_ an enemy.

He was such an extreme person. Which is why he judo-flipped me on the bed when I started bouncing on it.

"Agh-"

"Shut _up_," He hissed into my ear, chocking me without mercy. "I can_not_ bear your singing anymore."

I rolled my eyes. "I have a wonderful voice," I retorted, kicking his side with my heels. He let go of the grasp, and I got to my feet. On the bed. I jumped up and down, and when I looked down I literally thought he was going to stab me with the dagger in his hand.

"No weapons allowed!" I kicked his wrist and he let go of the knife and grabbed my ankle, dragging me down. He twisted my leg and I lied there, my head over the bed and my gaze upsides down.

"I give up," I grinned. "But you're awake now, so I win."

"You're such a _child_," He spat viciously, and pushed me on the ground. I wasn't sure if he was kidding or not, because I was _obviously_ a child. He must still think I was 226 years old. What an idiot.

"Ow." I said, lying on the ground. He stepped over me in his white night-cloth and walked over to the bathroom.

I sighed. Was this the start of another boring day on Sakaar?

* * *

When I got back to the room from dinner, alone, someone was waiting in front of the door.

At first, I thought it was the Valkyrie. And my heart sped up and my eyes widened and-

She looked at me. It was Janan.

"Regi!" She said excitedly, and I tried to hide my disappointed look.

"Janan! How've you been?"

"Well, great! I just thought I'd check by to see what you were doing," She grinned. "You look much younger without make-up, dear."

"Um, yeah," I had seen myself in the mirror after the party, and had been shocked. The eyeliner draw out the darkness of my eyes and I seriously could have passed for 17, or older. Apparently, Loki was a great make-up artist.

She barged on. "And I totally missed you that day. Who _was_ that guy? I thought we were becoming friends and that man just-"

"Oh, he's," I shrugged. "No one. He's just kinda weird, you know? Ignore him."

She leaned closer to me. "So he's not your owner, is he?"

"..Owner? What? No way," I cringed slightly, because aliens are _so_ weird. Did she think I was a slave or something? Then, what Loki said popped into my brain. Something about Cre-creians? Cregarians?

Loki had talked as if she was an axe-wielding murderer, rather than a pretty young woman who loved to party. Which made me slightly apprehensive, even though there was no way she was carrying an axe in that tiny dress.

"Okay, then. Let's go inside!" Janan beamed cheerfully, and I paused. Better safe than sorry, right?

"Janan, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Hmm?"

"What's a..." I struggled to remember the word. "Cregarion? Wait, is it Cregarian? I'm sorry if I got it wrong..." I trailed off, because her demeanor had changed _completely_.

Her smile slid off her face and she bared her teeth, stepping closer to me and pushing my back against the wall. Our gaze met and...there was something wrong with her eyes.

Her eyes were flickering. Her pupil's colors changed from green to red to blue in a blink, and I gulped, because I was pretty sure it hadn't been doing that a moment ago. Her lips curled upwards, as if she was smiling, but her eyes were frozen cold.

"You knew what I was?" Her breath hit my neck and I blinked.

"Um, no? Well...yes?"

"Is the man inside?"

I felt conflicted. What was I supposed to say? What was she going to do?

"Yeah." I muttered, because a thought struck me. She was definitely _not_ going to give me cuddles and kisses. Not with _that _expression. That expression just made her look...hungry.

Oh no. She was a cannibal. Then she sighed, like she was disappointed, and slid her hand around the back of my neck.

"Then I guess, we're going to have to do it here."

"Do wha-"

Janan squeezed, and I realized that she was not a cannibal. She was a axe-wielding murderer, just without an axe. Well, a simple murderer would do, but my brain was spiraling, panicking, drifting off to meaningless and useless thoughts. Getting choked was not a healthy choice for your brain, or your mouth. I couldn't scream. I couldn't think.

But there was something else happening too, something painful, other then her hands around my throat. There was something wrong with my heart, because I was pretty sure it shouldn't be wrenching and dropping. It should have been beating faster, not..._drooping_.

Janan took a deep breath, as if she was savoring the feeling of a neck between her hands. I struggled, jerking at her arms, but she was way stronger than me. She lifted my body up, and the pressure was stronger and I knew I was passing out.

Wait. _Magic_.

But it was too late. Magic needed focusing, but when I couldn't even breath and there was a leaden weight where my heart used to be and my vision was almost gone and I was dying-

Janan flew back and I dropped to my knees before I could see what had happened. I gulped at the air and my chest heaved and my heart immediately started beating like normal, and I whipped my head up.

Valkyrie. She had her arms crossed, looking down and glancing at both of us. "Which of you wanted to see me?"

I raised my hand slowly and she rolled her eyes and Janan slammed into her, grappling for control. But the Valkyrie wasn't a powerless middle-schooler-cough cough- and she jerked Janan's arms away, and took a swing. Janan stumbled back. Valkyrie snapped out a kick, one to the knee and one to her head that Janan dodged, stepped in and punched. But it was a sloppy one, even I could see that, and the Valkyrie took it and punched back.

Janan's head snapped backwards, and I winced. That must not be good for your neck. I rubbed at my own neck, which I knew was going to bruise, and shrugged. Who cares about Janan?

Janan growled, shaking her head. Then she again rushed Valkyrie and got a kick in the face and fell. Unconscious.

I stared.

"Well." Valkyrie looked at me. "What?"

"What?" I croaked.

"What did you want to see me for?"

I blinked. Okay. I rose to my feet, and staggered, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. Fuck. I was ready to pass out.

"Do you-do you want to come inside?" I asked hopefully, because we were _not_ having this conversation in a hallway. No way. Hey, that rhymed! I was pretty sure my vision wasn't supposed to go all white. I slumped against the wall. "What's a Cregarian?"

"...They're a species. They eat your life force." Valkyrie looked down at Janan. "I'm guessing she is one."

"Huh. How can you tell?" I slurred.

"They take the shape that can best sway their prey." She turned to me, her eyes still impassive. "Look, I'm not here to introduce you to different kinds of aliens, so if you have nothing to add I'll be on my-"

"Stay, Valkyrie." My head rolled forward, before I corrected it. I peered into her eyes. "We need you."

And I promptly, _dramatically_, blacked out.

* * *

A/N: The song Regis sings is Queen of Disaster by Lana Del Rey. People with superior music taste, I bet you know it.


	18. Chapter 18 : Plot goes Plot

"-Did you kill her?"

A pause, and a thud, like something slamming into the wall. It sounded way too close to my head for my liking and I cracked my eyes open. I blinked, narrowing my eyes, nearly blinded by the harsh lights. It hadn't been that bright in the hallway-

Oh, _fuck_. Memories hit me like a bloody truck, and I bolted up.

Then, almost passed out again as I swayed, trying to keep my balance through the haze of a throbbing headache.

"Oh. She's _not_ dead."

Fast movements in my peripheral vision, and I turned around just in time to see Loki get a fist in the face. He took a step back, and wiped at his bloodied lips. "I'm going to allow that. I _did_ hit you first."

"Who are _you_? The Grandmaster's new pet?" Valkyrie spat and Loki tilted his head in an angle I read as annoyed.

"I may ask the same question. What are you doing with-"

"How long was I out?" I muttered, interrupting him. I touched my sore neck.

"Barely a minute," She answered, looking impassively at me. "I wasn't staying, by the way. He just-"

"You were standing over her unconscious body. How was I supposed to interpret that?"

"Not as _I killed_ her, dumbass."

"Be careful how you-"

"Wait wait. Can we all go inside? I have something to say to you," I said to Valkyrie, who gave me a look, as if gauging how serious I was.

I was just trying to focus on staying conscious. God, I was really understanding the merit of oxygen. It was fantastic. A breath, and another, and we were all trudging inside the room.

"Right." She didn't bother to look around. "What is it? And how'd you know I was a Valkyrie?"

"You're a Valkyrie?" Loki looked intrigued. "I thought they all died gruesome-"

"Shut up, Loki," I cut him off. "So, uh, I know about your history with Hela-"

"How?" She stepped closer to me, voice considerably lower, and I tried for an innocent smile.

"It's my power. I know things."

"And I'm supposed to just believe that?"

Wow, her accent was really...charming. More than Loki's, in fact. I was pretty sure Tessa Thompson was american, but still. I had always been a sucker for British accents.

I blinked. Right, focus.

"There are many weird people out there in the galaxy. Some can breathe fire. Some can breathe under water. And I'm sure there are more examples than what I can think of right now." I shrugged. "I'm one of the weirder sorts. But, nice weird, you know? Not _bad_ weird."

She looked at me strangely. "That doesn't make a lot of sense."

"Yeah, it sounded better in my head. But, the point is, Hela's back. Odin," I glanced at Loki. "Is gone. Thor is coming soon, and he's going to need your help. And I understand that you don't want to have a hand in any of that. Uh, so,"

Wait, I actually didn't have a point. Why was I talking to her anyway? It didn't matter, whether I talked to her or not, because she was going to help eventually, right?

Whoa. Mind officially _blown_.

But, wait again. Why wasn't Valkyrie in Infinity War? What did I need to do now?

Questions. So many questions were running around circles in my mind. They ran into each other causing basically brain damage until-

A spark of idea.

"Forget about all of that," I murmured, and Loki frowned at me.

"What?"

"Thor Ragnarok, doesn't matter." I tilted my head. "Because, if Thanos comes around and he kills half the Asgardians, then people are still dead, right? And we want to prevent that." My mind was racing. "So we need to stop him. Like, now. We need to stop him from getting the power stone, which is...on Xandar! And then we stop Hela, and then we go to Earth, and then we destroy all the stones and-" I fist punched the air. "Everyone's saved!"

There was a brief silence while I was thinking _lack of oxygen does wonders to one's plans _and then Valkyrie languishly held up a hand.

"I understood about a third of that." But I was still so hyped. Because I finally figured it out! Fuck plan A to H. We just needed one, and it was _perfect_ that I was in Sakaar. With the wormholes, I was certain we could get to Xandar. Of course, with the right ship and help. I stared at Valkyrie. The Valkyrie. Whatever.

"We need your help."

"We?" Loki angled his body away from me. "What on Asgard are you talking about?"

"At least you understood it's gonna be you and me." I muttered under my breath. "So, um, Valkyrie-"

"I'm a Scrapper," She retorted. "And if you are going to speak in riddles, I might as well leave now."

"Okay, no more riddles." I held up my hands. "It's really nice and simple." Then I focused, using the technique Loki had taught me, and created an illusion. An illusion of Thanos, to be precise.

He didn't look very realistic. Crude, in some areas. I could probably never conjure a illusion with the level Loki was able to, but the face of Thanos was enough to draw a sharp breath from him.

"So, a bad guy is coming. This is the bad guy." I gestured at the mirage. "He wants to destroy half the universe. And if we don't get to Xandar before this dude does and he collects all the Infinity Stones, a snap of fingers and half of us are gone." I let the illusion fade. "So its a matter of this; are you ready to let your fate be decided by a purple man with a ridiculous jaw, and an even ridiculous-er agenda?"

Valkyrie considered this, rubbing her chin absentmindedly. Then she frowned at me.

"That is a really weird jaw."

"I know, right?"

"That is not the point," Loki said as if exasperated, and we both shot him a glare. He rolled his eyes.

"What do you need me for?" She said finally, and I held back a _yes!. _I couldn't hold back the grin, though.

"We need a ship, and a warrior. _You_ are that warrior, and I was hoping you could come up with a ship,"

She chewed on that for a moment.

"We could take my ship, go through the wormhole just outside the city limits. Could get to Xandar in five months."

"Uh, I forgot to mention, but we also have a timeline. We need to back in, at best, a _week_."

She snorted. "Yeah. Not possible."

"Nope. We have to make it possible. We're going through the big one. The one with the dumb name."

"The Devil's-"

"It's a dumb name. Comical, but still dumb." I commented, and Valkyrie shook her head.

"I agree with you on the name, but if we're going through there, we need another ship. That would tear mine to pieces."

Then I turned to Loki, who was generally looking appalled. I got used to a lot of _Loki looks_, and that was one of the most used ones in my presence. "Loki, you're going to borrow a ship from the Grandmaster. Suave him with your," I waved my hand at his body overall. "Manly charms. Or womanly charms, it doesn't really matter. Also, I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as manly or womanly ch-"

"I'm not doing it."

I narrowed my eyes. "We have a deal."

"That you haven't _kept_, by the way. You have not told me the future."

"Didn't you just hear what I was saying? The plan, is _going_ to be the future."

"That's not the same thi-"

"It is. Look," I sighed. "I don't want to do this as much as you don't. But I do it. You know why?"

He made a face.

"Because..." I trailed off. Wait, I actually don't have an answer to that. Whatever. "Great power comes with great responsibilities. And I know a lot of things, and you know what they say about knowledge."

He looked confused.

"You know, knowledge is power? And I have a lot of knowledge, which means I have great power, which means I have great responsibilities, which means I have a lot of things to do, and not all of them include sitting around waiting for hot people like Thor. And I'm pretty sure I've lost of track of where this speech is going, or whether it was a speech or not, but you get the point. We _have_ to do this." I paused. "And if you don't do this, I'm gonna sing pop songs until your ears bleed." I added, for good measure.

Loki seemed terrified. "Fine," He said stiffly. "But we are not going if I can't borrow this ship. I'm not letting you kill yourself, whether or not its going to cost me my ears. My life is far too important for you to die."

Valkyrie tilted her head. "_What_, now?"

"My singing is not _that_ bad," I defended. "I have a wonderful voice. A _lot_ of people told me so. Like, tons of people. _Everyone_."

* * *

A/N: What's Xandar like? My plot is literally running away from me. Please review.

Sounds like a dying person's last note...안녕. 이젠 좀 학교에 가고 싶다...아침이 오랜만이넹...아침에는 그림자가 아름다워 해가 뜨면서 그림자가 생기면서 어둠을 부각시키거든...난 밤을 샜어...난 이제 keel over 한 후 죽으러 갈게...

Thank you all for reading!


	19. Chapter 19 : Bipolar ME!

We all blacked out, when we hit the Devil's Anus. It was a weird comfort, the knowledge that you weren't the only one having an awful headache and felt like a grandma for fainting. (Of course, no offense to grandmas.)

But I was still the last one awake.

But, you know. That's life. I was kind of getting used to being the weakest person in the room. Or at least the _physically_ weakest person. I was still confident I had more emotional strength than Loki. Seriously, he had the emotional range of a deranged five year old that liked to set ants on fire.

But sometimes even _that_ seemed...tempting to me. Because although I never woke up from a nightmare with a scream in my mouth like he does-oh how he would deny it, it was as if I had caught him with a hand down his pants-I just couldn't sleep.

It wasn't as if I had some clear reason why. I just couldn't. Every time I dozed off, it felt like someone electrocuted me, and my heart was suddenly racing. It probably didn't help that I was so sad in the night, too. I missed my family like crazy. Sometimes, past midnight when I couldn't sleep, I would look down the window and wonder if I jumped I would be back in _my_ world again.

I never did carry it out, of course. I was too much of a coward to try. The thoughts of the last moments, the thoughts of the pain, and the thoughts of just _death;_ it made me step back. And shudder. And stare at Loki, who always slept so fitfully but rarely escaped his nightmares.

He was the living reminder that I wasn't crazy. That I was real, _he_ was real, and _this world_ was real, in some sense since I was here and he was also here.

And that life was simple; one faked death after another, until a final one that _I_ could stop. Keep him alive for a movie longer, never mind the TV series. Keep a lot of people alive for just a movie longer. I don't know what would happen if Infinity War was prevented, but the writers would probably come up with another apocalypse that I wouldn't know of this time, and we would all truly die.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Those maybes were becoming the bane of my existence. I had to admit, the control-freak me hated the situation I found myself in. But the control-freak me hated _everything_ including myself, so I wasn't going to succumb to its dark thought not yet. Maybe later.

Ugh, again with those maybes.

Death would surely be a kinder fate, with this much thinking involved in my life? My brain felt like bursting, time after time, after time and-

Bipolar was a bitch.

"We're almost there," Valkyrie interrupted my musings, and I looked at her. I wished I was older, for obvious reasons. I was always wishing that these days. Back in my world, I had wished for the opposite. I wished I would never get older, because I knew what came in later life. Studying, studying, then trying desperately to make money. Now, money wasn't _anyone's_ worry, was it?

"What's the plan?" Loki looked expectedly at me, and I looked expectedly at Valkyrie. She made a face.

"I've been to Xandar like twice."

"I've _never_ been to Xandar."

"...We don't have any plans, do we?"

I paused. "We'll be fine. We just need a tiny stone, how hard can it be?"

And yes, it turns out to be easier than expected, but still harder than what I would have liked. But then, I would have liked for the stone to just be lying down on the ground right in front of where we landed our spaceship, so...

So the deal is this; the stone's in the Repository, which is in the center of the military/police force that is the Nova Corps, and the three of us agrees that asking for it is not going to work. And apparently, I've been watching too many action movies, because I fully expected we were going to have to fight a full-front battle to get to the stone. Nope. Just knocking out an old lady will do.

We lied in wait for the Commander of Nova Corps, a white woman with white hair that I recognized from the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. As soon as she got out of cameras' sight, Loki punched her in the face, probably having no qualms with hitting old ladies. Then Val tied her up, left her in a closet somewhere and Loki became that woman.

She, well _he_ looked at me. "How do I look?"

"Creepy," I answered. "This feels very creepy." He rolled his eyes, and it was weird to see a Loki expression on a woman.

Then he snapped his fingers and Val and I also started to look like the standard Nova Corps guards. It didn't change the way I felt my body, being an illusion, but the residue of magic on my skin tingled. It wasn't uncomfortable.

We walked inside the building in which held the Repository. Loki nodded at the guards standing in front and they nodded back, and I admired the way he was able to pull off his magic. Since I had tried to do it myself and knew it was hard as heck, I couldn't see his magic detachedly like when I was watching the movies. Well, I couldn't see _anything_ detachedly anymore. It was a scary thought, but this no longer was just a fictional world with fictional characters.

And sentiment was good, because it powered me to do the things I had to. Motivation, I guess. I snorted, thinking of the song _Motivation_, then frowned as it got stuck in my head. I hated earworms. I had to sing it to get it out.

But no way was I going to belt out Normani dressed like a Nova Corps guard. How weird would _that_ look to aliens? Maybe they would drop everything to stare at me and it would cause a great distraction for us to get the stone? Hah. Nice try, Regis. You're not singing in front of everyone.

"Prime Rael," A familiar looking man said, stopping us. I felt like I knew him, but couldn't for the death of me figure out his name. Meh. He looked like a John. "I thought you went home," John frowned slightly, and Loki waved a hand dismissively.

"I needed to check on something," He lied smoothly. "I'll be out in a moment."

"Well, I'm going home." John shrugged. "Good night, Irani." Then he walked away.

"That was easy," I muttered, when he was out of our sights.

"Too early to say that," Val muttered back, and we strode down the corridor.

We had gotten the map of this place in a bar yesterday, with a good deal of threatening and a great deal of pain. Let's just say that Loki and Val made a very good Bonnie and Clyde. Huh. Where did that leave me? As their weirdly Asian kid?

Oh god, I did _not_ want to think of Loki as a dad. I beat that thought back with a big mental stick.

There were few people still inside the building, and none of them seemed to care much about us. Nobody intercepted as we stopped in front of the Repository, then used to passcard Val had swiped from Irani Rael and entered.

Aisles of artifects, some magical and some not towered above us. I tried not to gawk at the sights in front me, because Loki and Val didn't even falter at that gigantic skull of something that looked like a dinosaur. A freaking _dinosaur_. I had to almost run to catch up.

In the depth of the Repository, there was another room, one guarded by two guards who were dressed exactly the same as me and Val. Loki smiled that signature smile, stopping in front.

"Prime Rael," One of the guard said, his face unreadable behind the visor. But he sounded a bit irritated. "What is-"

Immediately Loki stroke, knocking his staff away and wrapping an arm around the guard's neck. Val moved simultaneously, slamming the other guard into the wall and striking continuously, until he went down. I winced, watching with morbid fascination as the two guards slumped bonelessly.

Loki patted the guard down, found the key in the pocket in the alien's vest, and opened the door. He looked at me and I walked in, scanning the safe-like box in the middle. No obvious booby traps, and I pushed apart the hatch and swiftly grabbed the orb inside.

I couldn't help it, I did that clishe movie moment where the villains stares at the diamond/object of power and smile devilishly. I had the power stone. Thanos, go fuck yourself.

I pocketed the orb-it was smaller than I thought it'd be-and grinned hopelessly at Loki. He looked unimpressed, but I could see his lips doing that twitching thing, that definitely wasn't him trying not to smile. Right.

"Let's go," Valkyrie dragged the bodies inside the second room, and unlike someone, didn't try not to smirk. "They'll be on us in a minute, tops."

"Not a minute. More like twenty seconds," Loki rebounded, and I frowned.

"Are you two guessing, or is this some kind of knowledge only experience grows?"

"This is knowledge that idiots lack," His pace fastened, and I scrambled to keep up.

"I'm not an idiot."

"No, you're not." I looked at him, incredulous, and he smiled. "You're a dimwit."

"Smiling doesn't make insults okay," I grumbled as we passed back through the Repository gate, Val in the lead.

"Then I won't, next time."

"No insults?"

"No smiles," And the alarm started ringing. I grimaced, and made an effort not to clamp my ears because it was extremely loud.

Loki snapped his fingers and he turned himself into a mundane looking man, and we started running for real, passing by the numerous guards who were headed the other direction back to the Repository.

But no one tackled us, no one asked questions, and we were out the building a moment before the doors slammed closed, the building on a lockdown. It was breathtakingly exciting, but all very anticlimactic. Probably because it wasn't scripted.

Screen writers managed to make problems out of thin air, seriously. Loki and Val were lucky I was here to do random unscripted things. Like sing Normani. _I'ma break you off, let me be your motivation._

"...Why are you _singing_?" Loki said, as if I had committed a serious act of atrocity not just simply hum a tune. He had a look of horror in his eyes. He was such a drama queen.

"Celebratory," I retorted. "We got the thing we came here for."

"And let's get out of here," Val took a swing of her flask-how did she bring that to a robbery?-. "I need a drink."

I frowned. "You are _having_ a drink."

"This isn't going to last forever. I need to have a drink _constantly, _weird one." She started walking, a particular drunken swagger in her movement. I shook my head, but couldn't help the smile breaking out. I really needed to stop letting everyone think I'm weird. I mean, it was true, but _they_ didn't know that, did they?

Maybe. Maybe not.

* * *

A/N: One down, five to go.

Thank you all for reading:) I never thought I'd reach 100 followers. My mind is blown.

아엠 쏘 어썸 하하하하하 유어 올쏘 어썸 개학은 안 하는 건 가보다...러브러브

Everyone, you guys are amazing. Have a great life.


	20. Chapter 20 : Space Pirates

We couldn't take the path we took _out _of Sakaar, Valkyrie told us. We needed to find another wormhole because the pull of the Devil's Anus, from outside to inside, would literally fracture our atoms. That didn't sound like something I would want for my precious atoms.

But unfortunately, we were also on a timeline.

"How much would that take?" I asked anxiously as our ship flew past Xandar's atmosphere, and Valkyrie shrugged from her seat next to me. Loki was piloting, after a brief argument with Val that ended with the agreement that they'll switch, somewhere in the middle.

"Three or four days?" She answered, and I scrunched up my face.

It had taken a day to get to Xandar, and we had stayed for two days. If it took four days to get back to Sakaar...that meant a week. We could miss Thor. I face palmed, breathing deeply against my palms.

Okay. It was okay. We could _not_ miss Thor, too. It just was a game of luck.

"Let's go, then." I grinned half-heartedly, lowering my hands and pretending I hadn't done that. "I'm missing the toxic air of Sakaar."

She threw me a dubious look that I looked past, choosing to focus instead on the sights of wondrous Space. Stars twinkled, drawing my gaze, and as the ship flew I watched the planet of Xandar disappear into a speck. I never thought I'd be out in freaking _Space_. I'd never even thought I'd be to another planet.

This whole experience was simply _awesome_. There was no other word for it.

I wondered at the sights around me, until my eyelids felt heavy and I fell asleep to the soft drone of the engine beneath us.

* * *

The Commodore was a small ship, just the piloting space and a restroom in the back, and the engine beneath our feet. Soon enough I got tired of sitting and doing nothing, and went to the back of the ship and plopped down. We had packed some food, mostly tasteless jerky, some dry fruit, and what looked like granola bars. I grabbed some of everything and started munching.

Valkyrie joined me after some time, but didn't eat. She just sipped from her flask.

I frowned. "Is it good?"

She looked at me. "What's good?"

I gestured. "The alcohol. Whatever kind it is."

"It's not for you," She replied, somewhat amused, and I tilted my head.

"Why not?"

"Because it's bad for your health and it ruins your life. " She took another big gulp.

"...That's very hypocritical of you." I said, staring at her, and shrugged. "You remind me of my math academy teacher."

She raised an eyebrow, and I smiled at the memory. "One time, he wasted like half an hour telling us smoking is horrible, and listed all the things he couldn't do because he smoked. It was a fairly impressive speech. Then he gave us break time and immediately went out to smoke again."

Val smirked back. "Well, was he at least a good teacher?"

"He was an asshole," I said dismissively, then paused. "I'm not saying you're an asshole, though. You're not an asshole. You're just an addict."

"I never tried to not be one," She answered. "That's why I'm still on Sakaar. Because I _like_ being an addict."

"But it's not nice, is it? Hangovers and stuff?"

"It's better than being sober." Val shook her head, as if reminding herself that. "It's much better."

"But what if you find something better than being an addict?" I probed gently. "A goal? Something interesting, like a hobby?"

"I've tried," She responded stiffly. "I know you know what happened with..._Hela_." She said her name so carefully, as if Hela was going to be listening to us. Kind of like Voldemort. "And I can't get that out of my mind, unless I'm drinking myself into oblivion. Nothing does a better job."

"What about some_one_?" I said hopefully. "Maybe you should find a friend. Or a lover. Life is a series of relationships, right? I sound like a horrible romantic, but won't a boyfriend or a girlfriend help get rid of the bad memories?"

She didn't get mad at me like I almost thought she would. She just smiled fondly at me.

"You're young. You're hopeful. Don't lose that light, weird one. Don't lose it."

I smiled back, then wrinkled my eyebrows. "That wasn't an answer," I pointed out.

"Don't push it, kid."

"I'm not a kid," I retorted automatically, then frowned. "Wait. I thought Asgardians couldn't tell people's ages."

"What do you mean?"

"Loki thinks I'm two hundred something."

"He's an idiot. You're clearly no older than 80."

"...That in words is?"

"Middle of your adolescence."

"Oh." I was pleasantly surprised. "You're right. That's...nice."

She gave me a strange look, and I almost blushed. It was weird to have someone who could actually see me for what I was. I liked her so much more. Ugh. Why were everyone in this universe so bloody _attractive_? It made me feel slightly left out.

I finished off the granola bar and leaned my head back against the ship's metal walls. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't awful. I pointedly did not stare at Val and soon I dozed off again, feeling exhausted despite the fact that I haven't done anything.

Maybe it was the fact that we were speeding through Space in lightspeed, that took such a toll on my body. But I could think or theorize no longer as I drifted off into somewhere darker than the space around us.

* * *

I woke up to see Loki looking at my face. Our gaze met, and I blinked.

"Staring much?"

He looked slightly annoyed at the fact that he'd been caught. I felt smug.

"You're so-"

"Awesome?"

"Weak," He gives me a look like _stupid-mortals-die._ "You've spent almost the entirety of the travels sleeping."

"Well, I'm sorry to say I'm not a god. Just a worthless little human."

He gives me another look that says _I-don't-believe-that. _But he dropped it, and I straightened up, sincerely hoping I hadn't been drooling. I didn't try as hard as Loki to look always composed, but I had a bit of dignity left to protect. Not _much_, but still.

We settled into a comfortable silence as I looked, bored, outside the transparent window. I didn't know this, but apparently anything can get boring after two days. Even Space. We were moving too fast to catch sight of the planets we were passing by, but stars still shone brightly around us. It was kind of like seeing Star Wars, except completely different.

But soon my gaze returned to the guy in front of me, and I peered at his face. I hadn't yet planned out how to save his annoying ass. If Loki didn't carry the Tesseract on the spaceship to Earth, would Thanos still find them? Was Thanos tracking the stones, or Loki himself?

And also, what do I do with the power stone in my hands? How do we destroy the stones? I knew Wanda could, but would I be able to keep everyone safe even through the trip from Asgard to Earth that was already doomed?

It was depressing to think that Loki and everyone else could still die, even with me here. And we were running out of time.

"Staring much?" Loki echoed, and I blinked. And reddened. He looked smug.

"...What are you going to do, after this is all over?" I questioned, trying to sound natural, like that was the reason I had been staring at his stupid face.

He looked back without a single flicker of emotion. "What are _you_ going to do?"

My mind went blank. I hadn't actually thought about anything. I admit, I kinda believed when all this mess was over, I would be able to go back to my world. If I didn't...well. Life would be amazing, but sad.

I tried a relaxed smile. It felt a bit too dorky on my face. "I always wanted to be a Space pirate when I was young." I said jokingly. "Maybe I'll fulfill my childhood dream."

"Space pirate," Loki repeated strangely. "I thought little girls wanted to become princesses, not," His lips curled downwards in distaste. "Space pirates,"

I threw him an offended look. "First, that's very sexist of you. And second, even as a little girl I knew monarchy was against everything equality represented because seriously? Predetermined rulers? That's _so_ 19th century."

"...I'm a prince." He stated, and I tilted my head. Oh. Right.

"I thought you gave it up because of your daddy issues."

"I don't have _daddy issues,_" He spat venomously. "Odin was-" He cut off abrubtly, probably remembering that the Allfather was dead. I winced.

"Sorry," I said, not cruel enough to rub it in his face. "That was short-sighted of me."

"Yes, you were." He retorted, not nice enough to not rub it in my face.

Awkward silence. "Maybe we can be Space pirates together," I said hopefully, feeling much like a puppy who wanted approval from her master, and he gave me a blank look like _you-are-so-beneath-me._

I generously smiled back. One had to have a lot of patience when dealing with Loki, because he held a grudge like a bloody lifeline. I knew that by now, after living with him for a week.

And soon enough, he lost interest of the smile pasted on to my face, and looked bored.

I contemplated my life.

"You have the space stone," He asked suddenly, and I didn't try not to roll my eyes.

"Oh no," I said dryly. "I lost it. I lost the very essence of the universe that we specifically went to another planet for!"

He glared, and I pulled it out of my jacket pocket. I waved it at him, then paused.

"Can you touch it?" I asked, curious. I remembered people blowing up because of its power.

"I can, but not for long."

"Like how long?"

"I would rather not try." He gave me a look that was a mix of _stupid-mortals-die _and _you-are-so-beneath-me. _I shrugged, and after peering at the orb illuminated from the inside, I did something stupid.

I parted the orb, opening it to reveal the oval shaped stone inside.

Loki straightened up immediately. "What are you doing?" He hissed, clearly afraid of the stone, but I ignored him. The power stone was purple, and glowing with literal..._power_. The light had a hypnotizing and gaze-drawing _something_ about it, that made me realize if I stared at it for too long, I wouldn't be able to look away. I would be addicted.

Like people were addicted to power.

And suddenly everything went very quiet, and I could feel the stone beckoning me. I could literally _feel_ it. It wanted to be used, it wanted to give me power. Enticing, overwhelming _power_. Something was whispering in my ear, taking over my vision until the only thing I could see was the stone, and I _wanted _to touch it. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad, because it promised me I would be the strongest sorcerer, I would be irresistible to everyone that I cared for, and-

I would be able to go home.

I didn't realize I had grabbed the stone, until the power was coursing through me and I realized _everything. _

My senses were heightened. I could feel a ship passing by us thousands of miles away, and I could feel the live forms, no _auras, _of the living beings inside. I could hear every breath, every word, and every laughter. I was aware of everything, a dying star on my right and a planet teeming with life on my left.

And my _magic_.

With the power stone in my hand, I could do _anything. _

I could change my appearance even more fluidly than Loki. I could open a portal to Xandar and with enough effort and practice, I could..._go home_. Home, where my family and friends are. My _real_ home. Where magic didn't exist and these characters simply belonged in movie theaters. I felt a pang of something in my chest.

And these thoughts of home simply pushed back the thought of power in my veins, and I realized something else, something the power stone had tried to obscure.

My mind, was uncoiling.

Even I could sense that this much power couldn't be stored in one being. It was probably realizing that too, and was starting to eat me from inside, starting from my head. As seconds passed, I noticed it was harder to keep a conscious thought, and I knew that the longer I held the stone, the more damage would go to my brain.

I would literally go insane with power within a few minutes. Then, I would explode.

And..._No_.

I opened my palm, the stone dropped and Loki lunged forward, grabbing the orb and the stone and closing it inside the other. I gasped for breath, literally feeling as if my mind had been pulled apart and put back together. Okay. Power stone, _bad_. Got it.

I raised my head, my body trembling, and Loki stared at me.

"Why," He said stiffly, his accent emphasizing the words. "Would you do-"

"Sorry, sorry," I muttered. "I'm sorry. It was so..."

He grabbed my jacket, and I flinched. "You realize you could've killed us all," He said with a low, threatening voice. I just tried to get a grip on my shaking. My vision was darkening, the familiar feeling of exhaustion coming over me.

"I-I'm sorry. Really."

"But you didn't."

My breath hitched. "...Um, what?"

He let go, eyes suddenly gleaming with fascination. "You weren't overwhelmed by the power,"

I frowned. That had taken a sudden turn. "And?"

"No mortal can stand the Infinity Stone's power. But you," Loki looked weirdly intrigued. "You were able to channel it."

I was speechless. Then I regained the control of my usually talkative mouth. "I didn't channel it. i just avoided being blown up-"

"No, I _felt_ your magic expanding. Do you realize what this means?"

I shook my head timidly, and he leaned closer to me.

"This means you could actually use the Infinity Stones. You can _use_ them to fight Thanos."

"No." I said, my mind tangled and confused. "We have to destroy the-"

"Why destroy them, if we can use them as a weapon against Thanos himself? I can wield the Tesseract, and with you and the power stone, no one can stand before us."

Okay. That sounded a bit too super-villain-like for me, and I shook my head again, this time more firmly.

"No. I almost died, right now. I'm not trying it aga-"

"You almost died because you didn't draw on the power, and make use of it. If you were able to draw the power out of your body and manipulate it, you will be able to harness the power safely." He smirked with revelation. "You can be the most powerful-"

"Okay, shut up." I pushed him back. "We're not talking about this. Maybe it can be a last resort or something, but not now. We can defeat Thanos _without_ any of this dangerous stuff."

He looked incredulous. "You can have the most powerful-"

"Power yada yada. I'll only be interested in this piece of rock if it can play Taylor Swift." I rolled my eyes. "Stop fixating on power. Your super-villain is showing."

Loki glared and opened his mouth and Val cleared her throat dryly.

She was standing in front of us, and I realized with a start that Loki was way closer to me than I would've liked. I scowled at him, and stood up.

"Yes?"

"We're at the wormhole." She looked at me then at Loki. Then narrowed her eyes. Then shrugged. "Buckle up."

I refused the urge to punch Loki in the face. We glared at each other, and I stomped away dramatically. Agh. I fucking hated that dude.

* * *

A/N: I hate dialogue.

Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21 : Thor's here

"Want to drive?"

"What?" I was grasping the arm-rests, pulse racing at the wormhole in front of me. I knew it was illogical for me to be scared of the ride through, but it was still daunting. More because I really didn't want to fall unconscious again.

"Do you want to try piloting?" Valkyrie glanced at me casually, and I blinked, snapping back to reality.

"Uh. I don't know-"

"We're not letting her fly the ship," Loki interrupted rudely. "She'll kill us all."

I shot him a look. "Actually, I wouldn't kill us all. But since Loki's too scared, no thanks."

Val shrugged dismissively. "Whatever suits you."

"I'm not scar-"

The rush of the engine powering drowned out his words and the ship shot forward, my body immediately forced back to slam against the seat. The sound of my heartbeat pumped in my ears as I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself, and-

Light.

I slowly breathed out, and cracked my eyes open. I felt extremely dizzy, like I was about to keel over, but then it was comparably better than the previous wormhole-traveling experience. We were back in Sakaar, flying over the colorful wastelands, and Val didn't even seem effected by any headaches as she directed the spaceship back to the Grandmaster's tower.

I looked down, through the window, trying to locate the spot Loki and I had fallen down to. The sights were familiar, but the piles of trash weren't very impressive from up in the sky.

A swarm of movements caught my eyes, and I narrowed my eyes to see clearly. There were a group of scrappers around a lone figure, a figure wearing a red cape, and I balked.

"Stop!" I yelled, extending a hand out to Val next to me, and due to her credit, the ship halted immediately in the middle of the sky with an over-exhausted whine from the engine. My heart hammered in my chest.

"What in _Asgard_ are you-"

"We have to go down." I cut Loki's words off. I was actually getting used to doing that. I turned to Val. "_You_ have to go down there."

She raised her eyebrow in a _explain _look, and I tried to make a coherent sentence that would actually make sense to people who haven't watched Ragnarok. Just my luck, that Thor arrived just when we did.

"Thor's down there." I finally settled on, ignoring Loki's sharp intake of breath. "You need to get him to the Grandmaster as a contender in the contest."

"Why?" Val frowned, and I waved my hand roughly in the direction of Thor down there.

"He needs to fight the champion," _Hulk, _"And become friends with him."

There was a pause. Loki looked at me like an idiot.

"You realize fighting does not equate _befriending_?"

I didn't have time to glare at him. "It's a long story, but the point still is, that you," I pointed at Val. "Need to treat him just as every other contender." I paused. "And you'll get money off of it. Please?"

"How much?" She didn't even bat an eyelash. I smiled impishly.

"I don't know the exact amount, but as much as you want from the Grandmaster."

"Deal," Val nodded, and we both ignored Loki's protests as the ship flew down.

My mind pondered if I was doing the right thing. I mean, I was trying to keep the events closest to the movie as possible, so that I would be able to predict and foretell what was going to happen. I tried to think of how Valkyrie and Thor's first meeting had went.

Well, there hadn't been Loki in Valkyrie's ship.

I shifted my head to look at Loki, when Val left the ship with a _lot_ of weaponry at her arsenal. He was undoubtedly sulking. I tried to fight back the eye-roll. "Loki. Thor can't see us in the ship."

"Well, what do you suggest?" He said with a petulant tone, and I gestured at the restroom.

"Go in there."

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going in there."

"He's going to be unconscious in a moment. Just for a minute, please?"

"If he's going to be unconscious-"

"I'm pretty sure he wakes up in the middle of the flight."

We held a brief staring contest which I didn't really get that we were doing until it was over. Probably that's the reason I won, because his posture slightly diminished, and he muttered something about weak mortals under his breath, then he thankfully trudged back into the bathroom.

I glanced outside the window, slightly ducking so I won't be seen, and straightened up when I saw there was no reason to. The scrappers were already dealt with, and Val was dragging Thor like a sack behind her shoulder. I was so conflicted. Do I risk staying here, or do I go to the smelly space restroom? I would annoy Loki's eyeballs out if I went in.

I inclined my head. Wait, why was I conflicted? Another way to annoy Loki. It was basically a present!

I dashed to the restroom, ignored Loki's startled look, and shut it closed the moment I heard Val grunting, as she carried Thor's body up the ramps. I winced, guiltily. I felt like I should help her.

"What are you do-"

"Shh," I pushed a finger against his lips, although I knew we could shout bloody-murder and Thor wouldn't still hear us. "Be quiet."

Loki looked torn between the urge to throttle me, and the urge to kick me away from him. I plopped down on the toilet seat, lowering my hand and letting him stand awkwardly next to me. I knew it would be way more coordinated if I let him seat, but you know. I knew how to annoy a guy.

And as I suspected, well more like _provoked_, he clenched his fist-my eyeline was at that level (ugh he was stupidly tall. I hated tall guys. They had no sense of respect for shorter people.)-and growled _"What are you doing."_

But he still said it in a hushed tone. Ha. I smiled with the sweetness of victory.

"We're hiding. From Thor, in case he wakes up." I said, innocently, and hummed a song underneath my breath. Sigrid's _Don't kill my vibe. _

Loki threw me a nasty look, and I piled it in my ever-growing list of Loki looks. It was somewhat fascinating, that he was able to make so many faces that expressed exactly what he was trying to say. He probably didn't even need to talk to me, after some time. He could raise an eyebrow at me and I would know what to do, whether to shut up or fetch him some water.

Ugh. I shuddered. Spending more time with this dude sounded horrible.

"You haven't answered my question," I said suddenly, and he looked down, crossing his arms aggressively.

"What question?"

"What are you going to do after," I waved my hand around. "This?"

He looked passionately detached. I hadn't known that was a possible look on a human. Well, he wasn't human, but still. He was trying so hard to look like he didn't care about anything.

"I'll find a planet or two. And rule over the insignificant mortals." He replied casually.

I leaned forward, peering up at him with disappointment. "I thought we were going to be Space pirates. I'll let you be the first mate!"

He looked at me. "Who's the captain?"

"Uh, its my hypothetical spaceship. Of course _I'm_ the captain."

Loki looked away, and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. I rolled my eyes. I was kind of offended. But also kind of pleased. Loki laughing wasn't a everyday occurrence.

"Fine," I said, pondering. "I'll let you be the co-captain."

"Co-captain," He repeated, his gaze drawing back to me.

"Yeah, prince charming."

"Prince charming?" He narrowed his eyes, and I beamed at him.

"You keep reminding me you're a prince, and you can, well, _should_ be charming. It's a nickname. Humans do nicknames." I added, and he looked slightly apprehensive, as if I was going to try to stab him with this human _nickname_.

"Nickname," He repeated again, and I rolled my eyes.

"Is there an echo somewhere?"

"Okay."

"What?"

I frowned, and he smirked. It was a genuine smile, and I paused for a second, because it looked...well, _different_ on Loki's face. But it wasn't wrong. It felt right. I just wasn't used to it. I took a moment to memorize the angle of his lips and the lines around his eyes, without realizing I was doing so. God, I was becoming so sentimental.

"Okay." He tasted the word in his mouth, and it must have felt good, because he continued. "After this is over, we'll be Space pirates. I'll be the captain-"

"Co-captain,"

"-And we can rule some planets."

"...What is your fixation with ruling planets?" I complained, but I was also smiling. Widely.

* * *

Thor was a contender, tomorrow was the contest, and everything was on it's track.

Track to the looming, inevitable future.

I couldn't sleep. I laid on the couch, staring up at the dark ceiling, and my mind went down the path it had gone down a million times before. I wished there was a medicine for overthinking, like depression. Maybe there was. Maybe I just hadn't found one yet.

I sat up, after I wrote _sleep _in my mind for the hundred and fifty-th time. I couldn't sleep. I just couldn't.

My hand crept inside the jacket I laid down next to the couch. I took out the orb, and ran my finger over the crack where it opened. The memory of that power, and the impact it had on my mind was still clear, but I couldn't help the part of me that wanted, _desperately_, to use the power stone again. I wanted to have that power. I wanted to go home.

Loki had said that I could control it. Could I believe him? And if not, how was I supposed to deal with the power stone? I even had a strong yearning for a garbage disposal, so I could chuck it down that. It probably wouldn't work, but at least the thing would be off my hands.

I had been very short-sighted when I thought that getting the stone would be the end. I didn't have a plan on how to take care of this, and now I was having a meltdown.

I cradled my head in my arms. Okay. No. I was fine. I was going to take care of everything, with an abundance of wacky humor and dorky comments. I was going to be fine, even if I was alone and I _felt it. _

I was fine. Maybe if I reminded myself enough, I would actually believe it.


	22. Chapter 22 : Hulk is nice

Popcorn. I was aching for some popcorn.

I mean, the sight in front of me _needed _some popcorn. I was literally watching an action movie.

Valkyrie scissored her legs around Hulk's head and drove her fists down on his head, but he ducked, grabbing and throwing her down to the ground. She rolled to a stop, then raised her head, grinning maniacally.

Hulk roared, slamming into her and there was a flurry of movements, punches and jabs and kicks and elbows. Hulk was way bigger and way stronger than Val, but she was far more nimble, and even I, who had no experience with fighting whatsoever, could see that she had a lot of tricks up her sleeve.

Val repeatedly punched Hulk's chest with such force that he was driven back, and he blocked, swiped an arm around, making her duck. He grunted, raising her up and throwing her over his shoulder. Then he jumped down on her, striking her face and they wrestled for control.

I yawned. Well, I had to admit, it got tiring after an hour. But I still wanted popcorn. My mind wandered elsewhere, as I rubbed at my eyes.

Yesterday had been a disaster.

Loki had sulked so hard after talking to Thor, and that mood had continued, even after seeing Thor get beaten up by Hulk in the arena. Being in the same space as him had felt like suffocating, and I had tried to cheer him up to no avail.

So when I saw that he was still very very angry this morning, I had escaped. Val invited me to her training with Hulk, so I came here. And was watching this highly action-packed training scene that hadn't happened in the movie for good reasons, which was that it was interesting, yes, but not much.

And then Val flipped Hulk around in some fancy move my eyes couldn't follow and sat on his green muscled back, holding back his arms. "Yield," She hissed, her breathing restricted, and after a moment of struggle, Hulk slumped.

"Angry girl, win." He muttered slowly.

"Yes!" She sang, jumping up. I shook my head. I was way younger than her, but she was way more energized.

I clapped weakly. "Yay, you."

Hulk stood up. "Another round-"

"No. No way." I interrupted him, desperate for them to do something else, now. "You guys should rest."

"Fine then." Val grinned. "I'll go get some water. You two stay here."

Then she strode off out of the gym. I gulped, slowly turning to look around at Hulk, who had sat down, looking mildly bored and mildly angry, like always. He was really really big. Even his sitting form was as tall as me. I wandered closer to him, despite my screaming self-preservation.

"Hi."

"Weak girl," He acknowledged, and I frowned.

"I'm not _weak_. I'm just young. And I don't know how to fight."

He peered at me, his big eyes alarmingly disarming. "Hulk strong. Hulk can fight. Hulk teach you?"

I blinked, surprised. "You want to teach me?"

"Angry girl's friend. My friend." He said gruffly. I had to grin.

"Aww. That's so cute. You're my friend, too." I patted his arm absentmindedly, and cringed when I realized what I had done. But, he didn't throw me across the room or something. He just looked shocked too.

Fortunately, that was the moment Val walked back inside. She tilted her head at the state of us two, and rolled her eyes.

"Why do you always manage to get in weird moments with people?" Val asked skeptically, and I gritted my teeth, refusing to blush.

"It's not me. It's them." I retorted. Well, it was kind of me. I was like a magnet to awkward moments. I cast my eyes to the heavens, wishing I was more elegant, or at least a bit graceful. Wait, did that both mean the same thing?

I sighed. Fuck me.

* * *

Loki was still sulking.

I paused, my hand still on the door handle. I could literally see the dark cloud lingering over his head. I sighed, steeling myself for the necessary conversation to come.

"Why are you so angry?"

"I'm not angry," Came the brisk answer. I rolled my eyes out of this dimension.

"Yes you are. You're angry. Stop trying to argue with me, and just tell me."

"_Now_ I'm angry." Loki muttered. He stood up from the couch, turning around to face me. "I'm none of your business. Stay out of it."

"I'm making you my business," I cringed. That totally sounded like a line from a romance novel. I sighed. "I know you're angry at Thor. And probably Odin too. But you can't just harbor all that grudge inside you and let it fester. You gotta talk to people."

"And what would make you think I'd talk to _you?_" He hissed malevolently.

"Because I'm the only one offering." I crossed my arms firmly, because I really couldn't deal with his mood anymore. "Also, I kind of live with you, and I don't want to keep tiptoe-ing around you anymore."

"You weren't doing a great job," Loki muttered after a moment, and visibly deflated like a popped balloon. He made a face, like _why _am _I living with you? I hate you, _but there was no real bite to it. He sat back down on the couch, legs crossed indian-style, and I plopped down next to him. He gave me the side-eye, and shifted away.

"So...?" I probed not so subtly.

"Yes." He breathed out, the word sounding like a sigh. "I am mad. Mad at Thor."

"Why?" I figured that _why_ was better than _I told you so._

"He does not see what I see." I noticed his fist tighten around his ankle. "He does not even attempt to see. He believes I meant to weaken Odin, to k-kill him. But I didn't. I just wanted..."

I pursed my lips.

"Loki. For you, Odin died almost three weeks ago. But for Thor, well, he died yesterday. He's still grieving, and he thinks if he pins the blame on someone, it'll feel better." I tried a hesitant but reassuring smile. "But he's wrong. We know that. You didn't kill Odin, and you didn't mean to."

"But he-"

"He'll come around. I promise." I gave him a pointed look. "You shouldn't care so much about what other people think."

"I don't." Loki looked weirdly offended.

"You tried to destroy a world just to make your dad proud. Yeah, you care." I sighed half-heatedly. "I know it's probably going to be hard to change your mindset, but you have to focus on yourself, and what you want. It's your life. I know that you love slash hate your family, but your life should be determined by what kind of family you had. You need to get a life, aside from just being a prince, or Asgardian, or a frost giant."

"My life." He repeated, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. "I haven't...thought of that."

"Yeah, I could see." I smirked, patting his knee. "But don't worry. You just have to have some existential crises, and everything will be fine."

"That doesn't _sound_ fine," He muttered, and I snorted lightly.

"Everyone goes through it. You're just very very late." I shrugged. "Everything will be fine."

He gave me a look like _nothing is fine. _I flashed him an optimistic smile. "Now, let's go talk to Thor."

* * *

Thor was having a conversation with Val. I noticed, a moment too late, that it was the scene from the movie. Fuck. My mind went still. What was I supposed to do? I knew that Thor jumped out of the window, and that Hulk followed, but...I wasn't ready to jump out of the window. I would definitely die if I did.

"I'm _not_ talking to-"

"Shh," I shushed Loki, dragging him behind one of the guards. "Wait a moment."

I was pretty doomed. Loki shouldn't be here. Ugh, I was going to orchestrate a beautiful moment between the siblings, hopefully help them overcome their obvious stupidity, but this wasn't it. What do I do? I was literally having a mental breakdown.

Loki, on the other hand, was oblivious to my inner turmoil. He just looked seriously annoyed. "Why did you bring me here if you were going to-"

I strode into the room. I had a semi-plan that I had come up with from thin air, that depended on a certain rage-fueled green individual not being rage-fueled. Yeah, that sounded hopeful. I skirted past Val and Thor, who were arguing beautifully-man they were both so attractive-, and went to stand next to Hulk.

"Hey," I whispered. Val was talking now, "I'm not getting dragged into another one of Odin's family squabbles," And then Thor was like "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" and Hulk turned to me.

"Yes?" He grunted, toying with the orange ball in his hands. Nobody except him had noticed my existence. Which was slightly insulting. Did I have that less of an impact on people?

"We're friends, right?"

"...Yes," He said, grudgingly. I grinned.

"Great. Will you do me a favor? When you jump out of the window, will you take me with you?"

"...What?"

"You'll figure it out." I looked back outside the door. Loki was undoubtedly _lurking_ at the doorway, glaring at me with a icy look. Huh. I guess I blew the soulful conversation I had with him earlier.

I tried to tell him to go away with my eyes. It didn't work. Then I softly shifted my hands giving him the _shoo-ing _motion, which he definitely understood, because he then crossed his arms, planting his feet where it was. It was a clear act of defiance and I rolled my eyes, mouthing _Go away._

_Why, _he mouthed back.

I rolled my eyes again, this time with an edge of desperation.

_Just do it, _I then turned pointedly back to the conversation Thor and Val were having. Well, had been having. I saw Thor's hand sneak out of Val's pouch with the electric something and she pushed him away, saying "Forget it. I have."

Thor nodded.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Good, great."

"Great," Val repeated, frowning slightly. Thor smiled.

"Thank you."

The frown turned into a scowl. "For what?"

"For this," He raised the device, grinning, and the scowl turned into a glare as Thor gloated. "Didn't see that coming, did you?"

He detached the obedience disk away from his neck, smirking confidently, and I could immediately see why Loki hated/loved his brother so much. His smirk made me want to both smile along and stab his perfect body at the same time. It would be impossible to stay mad at that dude, but he would always be slightly infuriating.

I shrugged. He was still a very very hot surfer dude.

"You know, go ahead. Stay here and get drunk and enslave people for that lunatic. Keep drinking. Keep hiding. But me," Thor turned around to Hulk and gestured for the ball and noticed me. The ball ricocheted off his face, him too occupied with staring at me. "When did _you_ get here?"

"Um, hi." I waved. "Don't mind me. Continue on with your monologue."

He paused, then nodded decisively. He picked up the ball, bounced it with a hand. "I choose to run toward my problems and not away from them. Because that's what-"

The ball rebounded off the window and hit his face again, and I winced as he dropped. Probably should have warned him. But glancing at Loki, and his barely concealed amusement, well. It was kind of worth it.

Thor stood again, shrugging it off coolly. He grinned lopsidedly at Val, who was failing to look impressed.

"Because _that's _what heroes do."

He hurled himself at the window and I watched as he fell out, Hulk immediately bounding forward on the edge. "Friend stay!" He yelled, and I grabbed his wrist as he was also about to jump.

"Carry me?" I asked hopefully, and he grunted, scooped me up in a bridal carry, and I waved frantically at Val as gravity took hold of us. Falling.

* * *

A/N: 킹덤 봤는데 범팔이 너무 기여워 진짜 너무 좋아 주쥰이 계속 나는 이 나라의 세자이다 할때마다 계속 오글거려섴ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ범팔 사랑...서비랑 이어져라...좀비들 너무 기여웤 하트 이모지가 컴퓨터에는 없네...ㅋㅋㅋ

드라마 하이에나 에도 범팔이랑 주쥰 나오는 데 범팔이 거기서도 주쥰 따까리...ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 둘의 케미는 변하지가 않아...범팔이 불쌍...주접을 떨고 있네...범팔 사랑


	23. Chapter 23 : I have nothing to say

Hulk let me down surprisingly gently next to the Quinjet, and I'm not going to lie, my legs buckled. I grasped the ship's exterior to stay upright, breathing through my mouth. That had been _quite_ a ride. I was pretty sure I almost died three times along the trip. Hulk _definitely_ almost dropped me.

I breathed out. Okay. I was alive. That was good.

Hulk barged on inside the jet, ripping off the plaster of the top part, and I heard Thor's rushed "Wait, no!"s as Hulk crippled the ship, reaching for his friend. I took a final moment of peace, and followed Hulk inside.

Thor was jamming at all the buttons, desperately trying to get the ship to work, one hand extended to Hulk in a halt motion. Of course, Hulk didn't. "Stay! Don't go!" He yelled, and I winced as the ship made a metal sound like it was dying. Then suddenly, Scarlet Johansson-well Black Widow's face appeared on the flight console.

"Nice work, big guy. We don't know where Ultron's headed, but you're going very high, very fast." Hulk stopped short. He stared, open mouthed, at the recorded message. "So, I need you to turn this bird around, okay? We can't track you in stealth mode. So I need you to help me out. Okay? I need you to-"

"No! No, Banner!" Hulk convulsed, as if going into shock, and he balked against the interior of the ship, dropping to his hands and knees. Thor and I watched with wide eyes as his body warped, Hulk fighting along the entire process as he got smaller and smaller. He clutched as his face and when the green-ness faded away Bruce Banner was the one that faced us.

Thor rushed to his side. "Banner. Hey, hey, hey. You all right, Banner? Sun's going down. Sun's going down. That's it, breathe. I won't hurt you. Sun's going down."

Banner rubbed at his eyes, lines wrinkled around his face as he blinked away his grogginess. "...Thor?"

"Yeah."

He noticed me. "And who is _she_?" He clutched the sheet around his waist tighter, and I slightly looked away, both of us blushing.

"She's Regis, Anadaughter." Thor edged closer to him, looking at me like he just noticed me, too. "And I have no idea why she's here."

I winced, then smiled hesitantly. "Loki dragged me here. And I got stuck with him on Sakaar."

"Loki? Sakaar?" Banner frowned. "Where are we? How's Nat?"

"Nat is good, I'm sure." Thor answered, not sounding very sure.

"And what about Sokovia?"

"...Sokovia?"

"The city, Sokovia." Banner inched forward. "Did we save it?"

Thor looked confused, then a moment later understanding set in. "Banner, listen. Sokovia. Ultron. That was two years ago."

Banner gaped. "What? What are you saying? I've been Hulk for two years?"

"I'm afraid so."

He rushed to his feet, not hesitating or seemingly _thinking_ as he raced over to the console. We followed.

"Banner, there's something you should know-"

"Voice recognition required," A woman's voice said mechanically.

"Banner."

"Welcome, strongest Avenger."

"What?" Thor said, puzzled, and I grinned.

"Ship's log." Banner muttered, sounding half-anxious and half-resigned. The display popped up, showing us an angry Hulk thrash away from behind the console. Banner and Thor watched the screen and I watched _them_, failing to stay un-fascinated with the A-listers in front of me. It never grew old, meeting famous people.

"Thor, where are we?" Banner asked when the video cut off, his voice carefully controlled. Thor smiled anxiously.

"Yeah, about that-"

"_It's bad news, bad news today," _The Grandmaster's voice boomed from the tallest tower and we snapped our heads up to the gigantic hologram of the man. "_Sakaar, hear ye. Attention please. I have some bad news. My beloved, exalted Champion has turned up missing. Take to the streets. Celebrate my champion._"

"Who's _that_?" Banner asked, incredulous, and I smirked.

"He's the guy who runs this place. We actually lived in his house for a while."

"_We_?"

"Uh, no, we didn't live together. I lived with Loki. You were next doors."

"_You_ lived with-"

"_It seems that that criminally seductive Lord of Thunder has stolen him away._" The Grandmaster interrupted, and Thor growled. "Seductive _God _of Thunder."

"Seductive. Ha." I laughed, and he glanced at me, and I stopped. "You _are_ seductive. Very."

"Thank you," He answered primly, and looked back at Banner. "We need to move."

"Oh, no. This is bad." Banner shuddered, putting his face into his hands. "This is really, really bad. Thor, I think I'm freaking out."

"Don't freak out," I patted his arm softly, much like what I did with Hulk a few hours ago. "You'll be fine. You'll be very fine."

"Put these on," Thor tossed some clothes to Banner, who was looking at me through his fingers. The clothing dropped to the floor, but he didn't spare it a glance, fixated on me instead.

"Thor. She's a kid."

"I'm not a kid," I said defensively. "I'm a teenager. I'm a young adult."

"She's not a kid," Thor backed me up, helpful for once. Then he said, "Loki said she was 226 years old."

I almost groaned. That really didn't help. Then I frowned. "Why would Loki tell you my age?"

"Because you seemed young, and I didn't want my brother to exploit one who wasn't of age-"

"Okay, whatever you're thinking, _isn't_ _true_." I narrowed my eyes. "Why would you think that in the first place? You have a dirty mind, seductive lord of thunder."

"_God_ of Thunder!" He bellowed, and I grinned. "Whatever."

"But how are you here? _Why_ are you here? You're human, right? You're not really two hundred something," Banner said dubiously, and I winced slightly.

"I might have lied about that."

Thor looked shocked. "You lied to my brother?"

I shrugged absentmindedly. "He was pretty easy to lie to, despite the fact that he was the lord of lies."

"_God_ of lies," He barked, looked at me, and realized he'd been played. His look was delicious, and I beamed wickedly. Loki was really getting to me.

"Didn't you say something about needing to move?" I questioned innocently, and Thor looked at me with that half-amused, half-annoyed look. He huffed.

"Yes. Banner, put these on. Quick."

Banner stared at me and I stared right back until I realized he was semi-naked and waiting for me to get out. I flushed.

"Oh. Right. Sorry," I rambled, edging back to the exit. Wow. That was really really awkward.

* * *

Bruce was cute. There was no way around it. He was simply put adorable. Spending time with Loki, who was definitely in no way _cute, _and just mildly terrifying at all times, gave me a fresh perspective on the people around me. I really really liked Bruce, because he was _different_. He wasn't that smug confident genius style like Strange or Tony or Loki. I had gotten a bit tired with those types.

But Banner...He was something _brand new. _

"The sun's going down. It's getting really low. The sun's going down. It's getting real-"

"Would you stop saying that!?" Banner yelled, just as I snapped "The sun is _not_ going down!" and Thor pouted, looking like a kicked puppy.

"I just want you to stay _calm_."

"Calm!? I'm on an _alien planet!_"

"It's a nice alien planet," I pointed out. "You could've been on somewhere with I don't know, _Daleks_ or something. Aliens that trys to kill you."

He looked at me, a flash of amusement and recognition in his eyes blocking out the panic. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a nerd."

"You know nothing about me," I reminded him with a smile. "Aside from the fact that I'm a nerd, I guess."

"What's a nerd?" Thor asked, confused, and Banner shook his head.

"It's not important. What's important, is that in the past, I always felt like Hulk and I each had a hand on the wheel." He took a deep breath. "But this time, it's like he had the keys and I was locked in the trunk."

"Alright, well, you're back now, that's all that matters."

"No, it's _not_ what matters. What I'm trying to tell you, is that if I turn into the Hulk again, Banner may never come back. And we're stranded on a planet that is _designed_ to stress me out." said Banner, rubbing at his temples like he might Hulk out at any moment.

I peered at him cheerfully. "We're not stranded. We'll go back to Earth, after dealing with some business in Asgard."

"_Asgard_?" His forehead crumpled. "Why?"

"Thor's sister took over, and she's evil. And very very attractive." I added, for good measure, and Banner stared at me doubtfully.

Thor cleared his throat. "What she's saying, is that my people are in great danger. We need to fight Hela, who is this really powerful evil being, who also happens to be my sister."

Banner took a moment to process that, and opened his mouth to protest but I beat him to it.

"You don't have to fight, but you will, when the time comes. But don't you worry, everything will be fine." I said reassuringly, then paused. "Well, until Thanos is here, of course. But then, nobody's going to be fine."

He looked at me wordlessly but I knew his mind was filled with questions about everything, being the logical scientist he was. I saw the uncertainty and the distrust in his eyes, and he opened his mouth, finally settling on a simple sentence. "How are you so sure?"

I flashed him an indisputable smile. "I know things. It's my superpower."

"What?" He gawked disbelievingly.

"Loki said she knew the future," Thor gave me a look that said he hadn't exactly believed him, and I frowned slightly.

"How much _did_ you guys talk about me?"

"Not enough," He said, crossing his arms in a firm posture. "What do you mean, everything will be fine?"

"It means,_ everything will be fine._"

"Do we defeat Hela?"

I smiled weakly. "Maybe."

He watched me with suspicion. "That's not an answer."

"Haven't you watched _any_ sci-fi movies? I can't just tell you the future because things will go wrong, and we'll all _die_."

"But you just told us everything will be fine," Banner pointed out, and I blinked, caught off-guard. Oh. Yeah.

"It's just a figure of speech," I defended after a moment. "I just said it so you'd feel better. Would you have liked it if I told you everything was _not_ going to be fine?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Probably not."

"See?" My grin faded, though, as I realized I would have to watch my words way more carefully. Banner was a genius, an _observant_ genius. He didn't ignore me like others did. Maybe that was a good thing, but I'd have to start being very very attentive of what I was going to sprout. "You're lucky you're cute," I grumbled, and then realized that I just said that. I _just said that. _

I died a bit inside. Didn't I just tell myself I was going to be attentive to what I was going to say? Wow. I was an idiot.

Banner looked slightly startled, looking at me with confusion in his eyes. I tried not to look embarrassed.

"I'm cuter," I told him, by this point giving up on dignity or any useless pieces of my pride. "So it doesn't mean anything." He looked bewildered but then thankfully Thor stepped in, snagging some towel off the ground next to him. He put it over his head and Banner turned to stare at him, managing to look even more bewildered.

"What are you doing with that?"

"I need a disguise. I'm a fugitive," Thor stage-whispered, and Banner looked thoughtful.

"_I_ need a disguise," He said, digging out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, and I snatched it away from him. I put it on. It was perhaps a bit too big on my face and definitely more expensive then anything I owned, but I liked sunglasses. It gave you a filter on the world.

"Let's get going, then." I said nonchalantly, pushing Thor to his feet. "You guys _are_ fugitives, as you said."

Thor nodded curtly-I was starting to think that he didn't like me much- and he lead the way out of the corner and I ducked, pulling Banner's jacket back right as green paint flew over us. I bent over and coughed, the particles coarse and rough in my mouth.

"Thanks," Banner murmured, looking shocked at the street festival that was raging on around us. Everything was green. I liked the color, but this was perhaps a bit too much.

It was even more chaotic inside the parade where Thor was walking into and we lost him, my clutch on Banner the only thing keeping me oriented. There were too many people. I started to feel dizzy, overwhelmed by the noise and the smell and the feeling of being engulfed by a crowd.

Then Banner started moving and I nearly tripped, barely managing to follow him. Then I gritted my teeth and focused and we surged out into a less-occupied area, with Thor holding Banner protectively, and a huge scrapper in front of us. He was huge. Enormous. Very alien.

My grip on Banner tightened without meaning to, and I was about to use magic when the alien keeled over, electrocuted. Valkyrie stood behind the fallen body and I sagged in relief, releasing Banner. He rubbed at his shoulder, peering at me with a frown and I winced. I mouthed sorry at him.

"Hi." Thor said awkwardly. Val ignored him, looking at me dead in the eyes.

"What are you doing with them?"

"Uh, I'm tagging along." I gave a small shrug. "I want to go back to Earth."

"I could've taken you." She remarked, and I paused, blinking.

"Really?"

She sighed like a tired mom, then addressed Thor.

"Come on then." And Val dragged him away, and Banner and I exchanged a look, then followed.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for F&F&Rs! I am seriously considering if I should make Regis fall in love with someone, but then...she's 15. Maybe a crush will be better;)

깁비 머니 머니 틸 아엠 블러디


	24. Chapter 24 : The Battle for Asgard

"Surprise." Loki said with the enthusiasm of a five year old being forced to read the bible, and I lasted two seconds before bursting out laughing.

"You asked, didn't you?" I snorted through my laughter, thinking back to almost a week ago, when Loki had kept pestering me about how Val had survived the massacre of the Valkyries. He had been very annoying, _so_ annoying that I had told him to ask Val herself if he wanted to end up getting tied to a chair.

And there he was. Tied to a chair.

He gave me a flat unimpressed look as Thor threw a bottle against his head, which bounced off. "Ow."

"Just had to be sure," Thor muttered, and Loki turned that flat unimpressed look at his brother. The look would've been pretty impressive, if it wasn't so bloody cute.

"Hello Bruce," Loki said, lips curled upwards. His smile was very contradictory to the condescending looks Thor and I had gotten. Huh. I guess Loki was still slightly scared of the Hulk.

Banner looked nervous. "So, last time I saw you, you were trying to kill everybody. Where are you at these days?"

"It varies, from moment to moment," Loki answered, his tone pleasant, and Banner flinched. I made a face at Loki which he pointedly ignored.

Val moved past him, getting something out of the drawers and tossing it on to her bed, and I stayed where I was as the two guys moved. I was having a staring match with Loki. He won.

"Is that...a _Dragonfang_?" Thor gushed over the sword on the bed, fangirling like a pro. "My god. This is the famed sword of the Valkyries."

Val ignored him coolly. "If we take the Devil's Anus out of Sakaar, we'll get to-"

"Take who's anus now?" Banner did a double-take and I grinned, caught Loki making a face and poked out my tongue at him. He gave me a flat stare.

"It's the big one, isn't it?" Thor pointed, and I nodded, putting my professional face back on.

"Yup."

"We'll need to borrow, well _steal,_ the Commodore again." Val crossed her arms. "Luckily, we have the Grandmaster's pet."

"I'm _not_ the-" She threw the glass bottle and it smashed _right_ above Loki's head. I flinched. He didn't.

"Can we not throw things?" I asked weakly. "I almost had a heart attack."

She gave me a brief amused look, then turned stoically at Loki. "What were you saying?"

"...I have the access codes." He admitted with a sigh. Val was frightening enough to scare Loki into submission, which said a lot about her, to be honest. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. Maybe without the alcoholic part.

"Good, then." Val clapped her hands together. "If we're boosting a ship, we're gonna need to draw some guards away from the palace."

"Why not set the beast loose?" Loki said meaningfully, eyes glinting with that playful maliciousness.

"Shut up," Thor muttered but it was too late. Val looked deeply intrigued, a bit weird considering that they were talking about monsters.

"You guys have a _beast_?" She exclaimed, and Thor shook his head quickly.

"No. There's no beast. He's just being stupid. We're going to start a revolution."

"Revolution?" Banner looked confused.

"I'll explain it later."

"Who's this guy again?"

"I'll explain it later."

I grinned. It was going to be epic.

* * *

In the end, it wasn't so epic.

I personally wanted to go with Thor and Loki but they disagreed, saying I would be a distraction or whatnot. And I was like_ no I wouldn't_ but I got dragged off by Val, who apparently thought I was a weakling. I knew I shouldn't have fainted the first time we met. It put a totally wrong image of me in her head.

And then I got stuck with Banner, well Bruce by that point, and we talked about nerdy things and tried to ignore any booms and wrecking noises of ships around us. Fights on spaceships were slightly intimidating. I had to admit, I would've been pretty useless to the three of the fighters.

We switched ships-ejected with a _scream_\- to get on the Commodore, and I winced slightly as I realized Loki was gone. Then I shrugged. He'd get to Asgard. It was his character arc that he had to finish. Then we lost chase of the other Sakaarian spaceships and soared through the Devil's Anus, and I lost conscious all over again.

Bruce shook me awake when we were flying above Asgard, in the middle of battle. Thor was already gone to fight his sister and I allowed myself a moment of humiliation as I realized I had slept through all the interesting things going on.

Val was firing at the gigantic wolf, Fenris, strolling the bi-frost outside the ship, and I stood, filled with adrenaline in my system but not knowing how to channel that energy.

"What do I-"

"You're not doing anything," Bruce snapped, eyes wild. "Stay in the ship. Stay _safe_."

"But-"

"This stupid dog won't die!" Val yelled, and he looked down at the carnage below the ship, face settling in a determined look.

"Stay here," He muttered finally, then rushed to the edge, turning to Val.

"Everything's going to be okay. I got this. You want to know who I am?"

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?"

"You'll see."

He leaped out, before I could even say anything resembling a protest. Val and I watched as his body hit the bridge with a sickening sound and a moment later, exploded up as the Hulk, taking Fenris and tumbling to the water below.

"What the-" I laughed slightly, the familiar scene relaxing me. We were gonna win. _Duh_. There was no need for worry.

Val strode back to the pilot seat and I followed, hovering over her. "I can fight," I told her, as she commandeered the ship down on the bridge, right on top of the skeleton monsters. She gave me a glance and a wicked smile as the impact triggered some party function, loud EDM music starting to play.

"I know," She tossed me a shooter, one of the smaller space guns she owned. "But don't die. Loki would kill me."

"I won't," I said, relieved and nervous at the same time, the weight of the gun feeling reassuring in my hands. Poor Bruce, the only responsible adult out in space.

We walked out of the ship as fireworks went off behind our backs, and I grinned and felt overwhelmingly dorky as the fact that I was in an actual action scene hit me. I was in _battle, _fighting for actual lives in this movie-verse. Woah.

The skeletons with clothes-did they even have a name?- started swarming towards us and Val ran to face them, her sword cutting through bones and armor like paper. I stayed back, loaded the space gun, and fired. My aim was slightly wobbly, but there were enough skeleton monsters that I didn't even need to bother to aim.

There was a safe distance of about ten feet between me and the skeletons, most of them engaging Valkyrie who was fighting like a demon, but four of them broke off from her and rushed me. I shot down the first two, and cursed as one came close enough to swing its sword at me. I ducked in a frenzy, knocked it away with the bulk of the gun and shot the other. I then kicked the last one left in the chest and swung its head off with the gun.

Huh. I'm pretty good at this.

But then, of course, was the moment an uncountable number of skeletons surged towards me and my face fell quickly. _Fuck_.

I soon realized, as the fight progressed, that battles weren't as neat as movies made it out to be. There were skeletons trying to kill me on every side and just my luck and magic managed to keep me alive since I had no skill whatsoever. I abandoned the gun when it ran out of power, and resisted the urge to portal out of there. I snapped a whip into existence instead, and channeled my power into it. Skeletons sizzled, at every strike, an awful smell in the air.

There were a few close calls, like that skull dude who almost took my head off, but I made things up as I went along, manipulating magic and their warped auras and the air when I could. Out the corner of my eyes I saw Val, moving further away from me, taking down skeletons like they had personally offended her with their lack of fashion sense and then-

"Your savior is here!" Loki crowed like the dramatic fool that he was, and I fought back a grin because some part of me I hadn't realized had apparently been a bit worried about him not showing up. But there he was, the stupid dummy, on the enormous Sakaarian ship.

A sword flashed past my arm dangerously close and I snapped my attention back to the fight I was having. I shortened the whip, thickened it like a dagger, and stabbed the skeleton idiot. Another one slashed at my torso and I blocked, lengthened the dagger until it was a staff and protruding through its eye socket. It collapsed and another took its place and I groaned loudly, because my wrists were throbbing and I really wanted to keel over and sleep.

I swung the whip in a wide arc, beheading almost half a dozen skeletons, and tried not to think about whether I would have been able to do this if they actually looked like human beings. Probably not. I would've thrown up at all the blood.

The Asgaridans started pouring into the Supercruiser, but the skeleton army didn't show any sign of decreasing. Unfortunate, because my adrenaline was quickly wearing off.

I ducked a wild swing of a staff, slashed through its armored ribs, then snapped my wrist desperately to block another one's stab. I definitely strained my wrist that moment, almost dropping the whip and the weapon weakened, sizzling out into thin air. That was the limit of the fucking magic whip. Lose your focus, and you also lose your weapon.

The skeleton in front of me noticed it as well, and lunged forward and I stumbled back, barely missing the sword plunging into my belly. But it still slashed skin, the pain bringing tears to my eyes and along with it, raw anger_._ I pushed both of my palms outwards and the air exploded; clearing a circle of almost five feet around me and the skeletons flung off the bridge.

I shuddered, clutching my abdomen. Blood were leaking into my shirt, under the jacket. It hurt like bloody hell, and I swayed, trying to stay focused and calm while my mind was screaming _you almost died in a world that's not even yours. _

I raised my head. The remaining skeleton were sizing me up, seemingly hesitating, and I clenched my fist as I got ready to fight again. But then-

An enormous strike of lightning hit the Asgard's castle and the fighting all stopped, as blue lightning engulfed the sky. _Finally. _Thor had gotten it together. A tiny figure crackling in blue light in the distance touched down at the rainbow bridge and the tremor carried to where I was standing, and I smiled warily through the pain in my stomach.

Thor's presence seemed to kick-start my adrenaline and the urge to destroy those ugly skeleton things and I charged them, a fiery whip again in my hands.

* * *

The fight was over in virtually minutes.

Thor was...really powerful. Annoyingly so. The herd of skeletons, um _herd? _The army? Whatever. Anyway, they were down to a small number and I jogged over casually to Val, flicking my hand and pushing some of them off the bi-frost with the air.

"I'm alive," I said, faking some enthusiasm. I was really ready to crash at whatever bed anyone could offer. She gave me a radiant rushed smile, though she also looked very very tired.

"Surprisingly, me too." She answered, breathing harshly, and I grinned, was about to say something when her eyes focused on something behind my shoulder. Her smile faded quickly.

"This isn't over," Loki and Thor walked over, standing next to us and facing Hela, at the end of the bridge. She was glowering, her gorgeous face distorted by that scowl.

The four of us strode in front of the other Asgardians. I crossed my arms.

"I would say something, but I feel like I'm robbing you of a revelation." I said helpfully.

Thor gave me a look. "We're disbanding the Revengers." He said wearily.

"Was I ever _on_ the Revengers?" I questioned, and Loki turned to me tiredly.

"This is a life or death situ-" He stopped suddenly, eyes narrowed. "Are you _bleeding_?"

I looked down. "Oh yeah. Forgot." The pain had dulled to a throb, but looking at the blood made me feel slightly sick. The throb turned back to searing pain, and I winced. "How could've I _forgotten _this?"

"Bloody _Thor_," Loki muttered, and Thor protested weakly. "I can't _control_ it, brother."

"What are you talking about?" I scowled, and the younger sibling waved a hand at my blood-stained shirt.

"Fighting with Thor makes people stupid."

"No, it makes them _braver. _And..._slightly_ less mindful of injuries," Thor mumbled, and I blinked. Oh. So that surge of confidence and adrenaline was because of _that_? That was...slightly creepy.

Loki stepped closer to me. "I can heal-"

"Later," I answered. "It's probably really unfair for all the other injured people."

"I'm not healing _other people_-"

"Focus on the situation, lovebirds." Valkyrie snapped, and Loki and I gave her the same dirty looks as the three of us turned back to where Hela was walking towards us, menacing and deliberate. "We need to hold her off until everyone's on board."

"It won't end there. The longer Hela's on Asgard, the more powerful she grows. She'll hunt us down. We need to stop her here and now." Thor said, face serious now.

"What's our move?" Val asked, and the three of them simultaneously turned to me.

I held up my hands. "Don't look at _me_. Thor knows the answer."

"What's the answer, Thor?" Loki asked, voice sarcastic, and Thor looked at the castle, beyond Hela. He looked at the beautiful architectures, the golden statue, and the entirety of a place that was called Asgard. I could see his face come to a conclusion.

"Asgard's not a place, it's a _people_." He gave me a glance and I smiled, nodding. The affirmation seemed to give him confidence, and he continued, voice strong. "This was never about stopping Ragnarok...it was about _causing_ Ragnarok." He turned to Loki. "Go to the vault. Surtur's crown. It's the only way."

Loki tilted his head, and I saw as he came to the realization as well. He looked impressed. "Bold move, brother. Even for me."

"Loki," I said, just as he was about to turn away. "Here." I handed him the orb, digging it out of my pocket. My jacket felt light without it, but my heart felt strangely heavy as I gave the stone to someone else. "Leave it there."

"_What_?" A one worded response meant Loki was properly shocked. I pursed my lips.

"Just do it."

He nodded after a moment of hesitation, and I looked back to Hela, missing the strange glint in his eyes because I was too busy fighting the urge for the stone again. This is probably what addiction felt like, I thought as Loki jogged away, leaving the three of us to deal with Hela.

Well, just two, I guess. I was unsteady on feet, feeling lightheaded because of the blood loss.

Val definitely noticed. "Go to the ship," She ordered. "You're in no condition to fight."

"I would like to be the stubborn hero, but I don't want to die." I said somberly. "See ya later."

"So we do survive," Thor remarked hopefully, and I rolled my eyes.

"Of course you do. You're the good guys. Good guys always win." I turned and strode for the Supercruiser before I could see their faces. A hand pressed to my stomach, I boarded the ship with Heimdall's nod.

A haze over my vision, I stumbled to the nearest crate I could find and sat, hoping it would be all over soon.

I wished Loki was here. He could do that voodoo thing with his magic and heal me. God. When did I become so dependent? I needed to spend more time with Val. Val was the complete epitome of a independent being. But, should I really _be_ that independent? I mean, I was still 14. Wait. My birthday probably passed.

"Fuck," I said. I fucking missed my own birthday.

The realization was sad. I really didn't want to cry on a ship with a load of aliens, and as the ship started moving I rested my head in my arms and my eyes slid closed.

* * *

A/N: _Finally_, Thor Ragnarok is over. We haven't even gotten to Infinity War. Wow.

Thank you for all the follows and favorites! I read every review as they come:) Please share any ideas or feedback.

난 갑자기 노래를 쓰기 시작했어 정말 좋은 곡이 있어 친구랑 프로듀싱도 하고 있음ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ아직 읽고 있니 살아 있긴 하닠ㅋㅋㅋ


	25. Chapter 25 : Calm before the

I woke up chasing a dream I couldn't remember. My head felt sore, my body stiff and I generally felt like my body was falling apart at the seams. Ouch.

I opened my eyes. Dark ceiling. I was covered with a soft blanket, surprisingly on a bed, and I momentarily wondered if I was back to my world again. Back to reality, with my family and friends and-

"You're awake," Bruce Banner said, and I tilted my head to catch him in sight. He was sitting on the bed beside me, looking tired with bags under his eyes.

"Oh," I let out, slightly disappointed. He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't sound so enthused," He retorted mildly, and I winced, biting my lower lip.

"Sorry. Just thought..." I trailed off, suddenly remembering what had happened before I blacked out-_again_, for god's sake. I threw the covers to one side, raising my shirt and looking down. The stab wound was gone. Probably, no _definitely_ Loki's doing. He really strangely felt like an evil fairy godmother.

Bruce cleared his throat and I blinked and dropped the shirt, resting my head against the pillow again.

"Loki healed you," He confirmed, eyes wrinkling. "Though I clearly remember telling you to stay _safe_."

He admonished and I winced again, fondling with the blanket.

"It was just a light stab," I answered, shrugging it off. "What happened with Hulk, by the way?"

"_Light_ _stab_?" He repeated, totally ignoring my question. "I thought you were _dead. __Hulk_ thought you were dead."

I frowned slightly. "But Loki's a good healer."

Bruce scoffed. "Regis, Loki healed you two days ago."

"What?" I tried to bolt up, and failed when my head wouldn't move upwards that quickly. I slumped against the bedpost. "I've been out for two _days_?"

"Loki said you exerted your _magic,_" He muttered, sounding like he really didn't believe that. "You never told me you were a wizard."

"_Sorcerer,_ to be exact," I corrected automatically, still feeling numb as the fact that I _slept for two days _settled in my brain. Whoa. I didn't know that I could sleep that long. Magic was really weird. "Where's Loki?"

"What _is_ your deal with Loki?" Bruce asked critically instead of an answer, and I blinked.

"What?"

"He insisted on using a room with you. Well, _you_ using a room with him. This is his room."

"Don't tell me he slept _next_ to me," I said slowly, and Bruce laughed softly.

"He slept on the couch. God of mischief, sleeping on a shabby couch. It's slightly unbelievable."

I smiled, strangely feeling proud. "We actually literally have a deal. I annoy him, and he finds it endearing."

Bruce shook his head. "You are very..."

"Weird, I know. So what happened after I conked out?"

"We're heading to Earth," He answered, looking thoughtful, as if reminiscing the past two days. "They say we'll get there in another three days or so. There's not much going on, to be honest. Oh, and Thor's a king now."

"Asgardians are stupid," I grumbled. "By now, don't they think having monarchy _is_ the problem? Thor's family is _clearly_ dysfunctional."

"They've lived like this a long time," Bruce replied with a wary smile adults wore when they thought they knew something I didn't and found that adorable. It was an slightly annoying look. "Moving to another planet is going to be a big enough change for them."

"That's true," I hummed. "What do you think will happen when we get to Earth? People hate refugees, for some stupid reason."

Bruce pursed his lips. "I don't know," He answered simply. "But Thor is a well-liked figure. It shouldn't be very difficult for them to find a place to settle down."

"Huh." I huffed a sigh, a bit tired and very annoyed that talking made me feel exhausted. Wait.

"Why are you here?" That came out sharper than I meant it to be, and I inwardly groaned. Why couldn't I socialize like a normal person?

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked, his lines emphasized by his frown. I smiled sheepishly.

"Why were you in my room? Well, Loki's room, I guess. Like," I spread my palms. "By my bedside." Wow. That sounded super duper awkward. I really couldn't talk like a normal person.

Bruce seemed to get the question though, and hesitated. "You're human."

"Uh, thanks." I said dryly, and he cracked a smile.

"You're the _only_ human here. And I'm a doctor, and you're a patient." Bruce snorted lightly. "It wasn't like Loki was going to be your caretaker. He has his limits."

"He does," I said, grinning. "Thanks, Dr. Banner."

"You can call me Bruce. And you also have a lot of questions to answer, _sorcerer_." He raised his eyebrows. "How _are_ you a sorcerer? How did you know-"

"I'm starting to feel very sick right now," I groaned. "I'm going to go to sleep in a second. Bye!"

I squeezed my eyes shut, and I heard Bruce mutter something about teenagers as I unexpectedly drifted off to sleep again. Magic. Super weird and super tiring, apparently.

* * *

"Why the fuck is Loki avoiding me?"

"...I don't know."

He tried to veer past me, but I stepped in his way and looked thoughtful.

"Loki, you don't know why Loki is avoiding me? It's like he's preparing an exclamation of eternal undying love or whatever for me."

Loki gave me a look that said _you're weird and why do I deal with you _but the normal glare was missing. He was, undoubtedly, _hiding_ something.

"Eternal and undying means the same thing." He said after a moment, and I scowled.

"...Uh, I don't need you to help fix my vocabulary, no thank you. Wait. Why are you not saying no?" I gasped dramatically. "Are you in _love _with me?" I said loudly, and the Asgardian woman passing by us almost snapped her neck doing a violent double-take.

Loki rolled his eyes and took my wrist, and I gasped again theatrically. "Wow, Loki. You're wooing manner is horr-"

He dragged and threw me in a room I didn't recognize, and crossed his arms crossly. Ha. Crossed his arms crossly.

"I have no wish to be your paramour," He hissed, and I made a face.

"Let's not make up words, Loki. Then-"

"I didn't _make up words_,"

"-what _are_ you hiding?"

He looked at me seriously. A silent moment passed.

"I think you need some help with your vocabulary," He decided, and I punched him in the arm.

"Shut up, idiot. I know plenty of words." It probably said a lot that I was able to touch or hit him in some manner and have him not smite me. He obviously liked me. (Of course, not in a romantic way. *eye roll*) But he was still not saying something, which was weird. And the way he kept avoiding me? This was probably the longest conversation I had with him in the last two days.

"I haven't avoided you," He lied, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah _sure_. Even _Bruce_ noticed something was up. And by the way, where _do _you sleep? Do you have a brotherly slumber party with Thor?"

"Of course I do. We sing lullabies to each other and roast chicken with Thor's sparkles."

"And then you have a pillow fight where you stab all his pillows. Right." I raised an eyebrow. "_Are_ you preparing an exclamation of eternal undying love for someone? Maybe Thor?"

"Thor is my _brother_!" He said, sounding horrified, and I shrugged. There went that fanfic trope.

"You _are_ adopted, as you keep saying. It would be icky, but not impossible."

Loki shook his head. "You have a twisted mind."

I choked. "_You_ can't say that to me! You're the one who's supposedly _insane_!"

"Until I met you," He muttered underneath his breath, and I crossed my arms.

"Okay, fine. If you don't want to tell me about your love life or your secret crush or whatever, it's fine. As I keep saying, it's _your life_, right?" I nodded. "But if you want to tell me, I won't judge. I'm a pretty laid back person, and I've had my share of secret crushes. There was that one time I had a crush on my P.E teacher-" At Loki's confused look, I explained: "P.E stands for physical education. It would be like sword fight and shit in Asgard. But anyway, he wasn't very hot or very tall or smart at all, but I for some reason, liked him. It was so weird. And I told this friend of mine that I liked him, and then she bloody _told _him, and I was really really mortified."

I blinked. "Yeah. That's what happened."

Loki frowned, his forehead wrinkling. "I don't get it."

"I'm pretty sure that the point is, it's your life, and you don't have to tell me, but you still should because I'm not a horrible friend like one of _my_ friends."

He nodded slowly. "Okay." I had taught him to use the word okay, when he continued saying yes in super long and elegant sentences. I was proud to see him put it to use.

I nodded back. "...So?"

"So what?"

"What are you hiding?"

Loki looked generally confused. "I thought I didn't have to tell you."

"And then I said you still should."

"But you said it was _my _life."

"But I'm still your friend."

"More like _acquaintance_." He corrected quickly, and I harrumphed.

"Wow, Loki. Just wow. I risk my life to save your people and you tell me I'm just an acquaintance."

"Fine then." He narrowed his eyes, like he was doing me a great service. "_Close_ acquaintance."

I spun on my heels, and walked out of the room. "I don't want to talk to you ever again." I called behind my back. "Go and roast marshmallows with your secret lover, dummy."

"Okay," He answered, and I found out how smug one could sound with a _single_ word. I wanted to punch his stupid perfect face.

* * *

So I went to someone who knew how to control his anger and wasn't such a stuck-up. I went to Banner.

Loki and Thor and Val and Bruce all had a room to themselves. Probably because they were royalty, or turned to monsters when they got angry. And yes, Val was really really scary when she got angry. The other Asgardians, including Heimdall who refused a room, all stayed in the huge auditorium-like space right behind the engine.

I would probably have stayed there too, but I had a cheat-card named Loki and wasn't afraid to use it.

Val mostly spent time with Thor, drinking and talking about the future and the past. I was pretty sure Thor had a crush on Val. It was slightly adorable. Val was, of course, oblivious.

Loki did whatever he did when he was alone, and Bruce just mainly stayed in his room. Other Asgardians were slightly, well, _very_ afraid of him. Turning to a green monster wasn't a great party trick as it sounded.

So when I knocked on his room door, I was greeted with a hesitant "Come in!".

I barged in. And blinked.

"Are you _knitting_?"

Bruce looked slightly embarrassed, clearing his throat. "Uh, it's soothing,"

He was in front of his bed, using it as a desk while he sat on a small box, a make-shift chair. In his hands were purple wool, and the knitting needles I recognized because of a stupid and useless Korean class subject. In English it was translated as...Machinery and Family-ry. Made no sense, but you usually learned about sex and cooking and...knitting. I had hated the class with a burning passion.

I gave him a thumbs up. "Good for you." He dragged another crate closer to the bed and I sat, peering at the way the needles moved and the clothing was formed.

"What are you making?"

"Um, a hat."

"Wool hat. Cool."

"...I cannot tell if you're being sarcastic or not," He grumbled, and I smirked.

"I can't tell if you're trying to be cute on purpose,"

He made a face, his eyes not straying away from his hands. "Stop calling me cute. It feels so weird to hear that from a teenager who's-"

"But you _are._" I pouted. "It is weird."

"...Why are you here? Aside from trying to embarrass me?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's also weird that you're searching for an ulterior motive, you know."

"But you have one," Bruce commented, and I frowned.

"No. Well, yeah." I crossed my arms. "Loki is being a dick, and Thor and Val are somewhere chattering to each other, and I'm bored."

"...And?"

I made a face that he glanced at and smirked, and I realized he was acting the fool for his own amusement. I blinked. "Wow. I didn't know you had it in you."

"We don't know each other very well, do we?" He hummed, doing some fancy move with his fingers and flipping the wool over. "But you act like you do."

I flushed. "Um, sorry?"

"No, I know it's nothing personal. You do it with everyone. You meet strangers, and still act like they're your trusted friends." He frowned softly, a look of concentration on his face. "And I don't know if it's just your personality, or because you _know things._"

I paused, his analytics slightly freaking me out. I totally did that. And he could see it. Wow. I knew I wasn't an extreme extrovert or something, so I did know that I started talking a lot when I came here. I also felt more comfortable around the people here, because I _knew _them. Sometimes I felt like I knew them more than my actual friends.

Because I had seen their hardships and how they had overcome them, and I had actually _helped _overcome them.

If other people were as observant as Bruce, I would come across as a really creepy person. I should really start to shut up.

"Probably because I know things," I mumbled. "I'll try to be careful. It's like sometimes my mouth has a mind of its own."

"You could tell me about yourself," Bruce smiled gently. "Even the scores a bit."

I did.

I talked about my childhood. Well, some _could_ say that I was still in my childhood, but I generally talked about the younger years. The soccer club I had been in and loved in elementary school. Going to America, when I was in third grade. Coming back to Korea, and middle school, which had stupid tests that I had excelled at. My friends, that weren't really my friends. My family, that was loving but not exactly _caring_.

Then I talked about meeting Tony Stark. I skipped out the parts about coming from a different dimension and added the part about just knowing things, trying my best to fit them in smoothly. I gushed over meeting a celebrity and fretted over the impending doom that was Thanos, and explained to him about the infinity stones and the magic I learned.

Bruce was a really good listener. He made the appropriate noises at appropriate times and asked questions that weren't intruding. His hands worked on knitting the hat but his fingers dulled as I told him about Thanos's mission.

And when I was done, he had let go of the needles in his hands and was staring at me.

"Half the universe," He repeated my words, and I nodded dutifully.

"Yup."

"For what?"

"For the other half, I guess."

"That makes no sense at _all._"

"I know. That's what I said."

"Half the universe," Bruce echoed again, shaking his head. I worried if I had broken him with Thanos's illogical thinking.

"But we can stop it," I added. "We've already thrown a hitch in most of his plans. The power stone and the space stone and the mind stone is probably gone."

"_Probably_?" He questioned, doubtfully, and I rubbed at the back of my neck.

"Um, yeah. We left the power stone and the space stone on Asgard to be destroyed, and I told Tony to destroy the mind stone on Earth. I'm sure it'll be fine." I assured him. "The good guys always win."

"Not _always,_" Bruce answered with an ominous look and I was about to laugh nervously when the universe decided it hated me.

The alarms started blaring inside the ship.

* * *

A/N: 온라인 개학 꺼져라. 댓츠 이트. 댓츠 올 아이 원 투 세이.


	26. Chapter 26 : Magic and Mind

I flinched violently, startled as hell as the alarm pierced into my ears. Bruce had the same reaction, albeit a little more e_xtreme. _Green veins bulged across his temple and he shuddered, and I knew he was a moment away from Hulking out.

"Calm down," I said automatically, my brain moving sluggishly as I went over all the possible reasons for the ship to be in a state of emergency. And, the only possibility my logic could accept was...Thanos.

I hated my logic that moment.

Bruce almost fell out of his chair, body convulsing and I switched my focus back to him, running a nervous hand through my hair. I really didn't know what to do. But I _did_ know that him turning to Hulk probably wasn't ideal, until we got a grasp of what situation we were in.

"Bruce. Bruce!" I called, gripping his arm softly with the a hand. I made him look at me, trying to exude a confidence I wasn't really feeling. "It's just a silly alarm. _Breathe_."

It took a moment, but he did so. "Thanks," He muttered when he slumped back on the chair, looking self-conscious, and I shrugged it off, mind occupied with other things.

"I have to check what this is about," I said, the alarm starting to ring in my head. God, it was _bloody loud._ "Are you okay with staying-"

"I'll go with you." He said, voice wary but on guard. I nodded, and we rushed out of the room together.

People were streaming past us in the other direction with panicked faces, back to the auditorium to be with their families. The air was tense, almost brimming with a nervous energy where we knew something was going to jump out at us any moment, but didn't know what it was.

_Thanos._ A distant voice in the back of my mind whispered, but I ignored it, because it frankly sounded a lot like an over-dramatic teenager.

But then, I kind of _was_ an over-dramatic teenager.

When we reached the deck-it wasn't actually the deck, but a space in the fore front of the ship with transparent windows, very much like the spaceship in that Doctor Who episode where the 9th Doctor takes Rose to see Earth get destroyed. It was a morbid comparison, and I tried not to read much into it.- Loki and Heimdall and Thor and Valkyrie were already there, peering out the window to see-

Fuck. Thanos's big bad ship.

I let out a string of Korean swearwords, and they turned around, faces all ranging from unreadable(Heimdall), anxiety(Thor), annoyed(Valkyrie), and guarded(Loki).

"That's Thanos, isn't it?" Bruce asked, his face pale, and the rest of them looked at me with carefully concealed hopeful expectations. I bit the inside of my cheek. My mind was a swirling storm of questions. I didn't understand. Why _was_ Thanos here?

"I don't get it," I muttered, instead of an answer. "Thanos would know that the stones were destroyed. Why would he show up-" I went completely still.

"What?" Thor questioned anxiously. I didn't look at him. Everything _clicked_ that moment. It was all so very simple. I had been bloody _blind._ I clenched a fist.

I was an idiot. I was a _fucking_ _idiot_. I couldn't believe I had thought of myself as intelligent, when I was really the galaxy's greatest, stupidest idiot, and the fact that I couldn't think of another creative insult insulted me greater. I took a short breath and walked over to Loki and he stiffened and then sagged slightly and opened his mouth and I tilted my head.

He flinched. I figured that had to do with the murderous glint in my eyes. My knuckles were getting sore so I released the fist, and smiled brightly. Again, it didn't reach my eyes.

"I'm a fucking idiot," I said. Loki flinched again. He had always hated swearwords. That made me want to punch him, but I instead just held out a hand.

He observed the hand with a look on his face I didn't bother to read, and set down the orb that had appeared out of thin air, on my palm.

"Good," I remarked, the smile still plastered on. "The other one."

He hesitated visibly this time, parting his lips to put forward whatever argument he had formatted. I shook my head before he could. "The other one," I repeated, my voice surprisingly cold-even to me-, and he handed me the Tesseract with pursed lips.

I made them both disappear, using the trick he had taught me himself, and didn't think about that.

"Thank you," I said curtly, and then turned around to the rest. They were all watching with varying stunned expressions, Thor looking horribly confused.

"We can't let Thanos get the stones," I ignored Bruce's questioning gaze, and slide my hands inside the jacket pockets. I fidgeted with the gold ring on my finger. "And also, he will massacre half of the people on the ship."

"We have to stop him, then." Val said, crossing her arms. "We can do that."

"No you can't." I answered stiffly. "He will win, at one point or another. We need to get the people off the ship."

"There's only a couple of escape pods," Thor pointed out. "It's not even barely enough."

"How far is Earth?"

"We have hours left, and Thanos is in the way. We won't be able to make it to Earth, or any other planets."

There really was nothing different, was there? I had done _nothing, _even when I had known everything there was to come.

"What about-"

"You don't get to speak," I cut Loki off, refusing the urge to turn on my heels and scream at his face. "You're the reason this happened, and everyone that is going to die."

"I didn't-"

_The gold ring. On my finger. _"I'll make a portal," I announced, testing the weight of the slingring in my fist, and Bruce frowned.

"You can do that?"

"She can't," Loki replied before I could. He turned to me, his brows furrowed. "You can't. You won't make the distance."

"I have the power stone," I reminded him. "I could use its power."

"Your mind will-"

"Hadn't it been _you_, that wanted me to use the power stone?"

"With training and _practice_, idiot."

I ignored the strain in his voice. "I can do it. I will do it, even if I can't." I turned back to Thor. "But you guys will have to hold Thanos off until I can evacuate everyone."

"We will do that," Heimdall nodded, and looking at him made me think of something that made me feel slightly sick.

"You need to stay out of the fight," I told him, an edge of desperation in my voice, and his face morphed from confusion to understanding in one smooth movement. But, the look of determination still stayed.

"I can fight."

"But-"

"I won't argue on this with you. Every soldier knows that they might die. But they also know it is a honorable death, to die in battle." He nodded. "I will fight, for Asgard."

I looked to Thor for help but he, like an idiot, shook his head at me. A sad look was in his eyes. "We do not run from death like cowards. We will fight for Asgard."

I hated it-the bloody macho shit that didn't even matter-and I could think of a million rebuttals, but we were running out of time. And I knew, even though it was stupid as hell, it was their culture. I wouldn't be able to change his mind. "Just, just be careful," I muttered, then turned to Val. "You have to warn Earth. And I'm also not going to fight you on this, because this is important and you'll also be able to fight down there. Okay?"

Val looked slightly overwhelmed. "Yes." She said, a bit automatically. I nodded quickly.

"Good. Bruce?" He stood up straighter. I thought it was ridiculous. "Are you okay with fighting?"

"...Not really, but I'll do."

"Thank you. And Loki will help me with the portal." I nodded again. "We, apparently, have a plan. How is it?"

"Horrible." Voices said in agreement, and I surprised myself with a smile, genuine this time.

"Good plans are always horrible," I answered simply. "Shall we do a high five? A group hug? Just do nothing?"

"...What's a high five?"

"Nothing it is," I shrugged, then set my jaw in a determined look. "We will win. Or at least, we'll survive. Or, we could die, but it won't be in vain. Well, if Thanos wins, it would kind of be in vain, but still. I think I've lost track of this pep talk, but seeing how I'm the youngest person here, I think that's okay." I scowled darkly. "And will someone please shut off that goddamn alarm?"

* * *

All the people that were willing and capable of fighting were up on the deck, where the battle was about to commence any moment now. People were going to die. Heimdall was most likely going to die.

And I couldn't, and shouldn't think of any of that now.

I had to focus. The large auditorium was creepily quiet for my benefit, but that kinda made it worse, knowing those people's lives depended on this. I had to succeed in making the portal, and I had to do it _now_.

The orb felt heavy on one hand. On the other, the slingring.

I breathed in deeply, and succumbed to the irresistible urge that whispered for me to take the power stone.

Immediately, every doubt and worry went away.

The sensation was...sensational, to say the least. The power overwhelmed my everything and intoxication became something I could well understand that moment. I was aware of _everything_, from the worried Asgardians to the blood-thirsty Outriders teeming on Thanos's ship. Val and Loki beside me, and the stars surrounding our location. _Everything_.

And then I retracted the energy, dragging it back to me and my body, my blood churning with the power and my vision a hazy violet color. I probably had purple eyeballs. It would have creeped me out, if I wasn't so busy trying to control the Infinity stone.

I clenched my right hand, the one with the slingring on, and dug my fingernails in my palm. The sting helped me focus, and I probed the magic inside the gold ring. A copious amount, but laughable, compared to the power coursing through my veins. I would never be able to use the ring to make a portal to Earth without the power stone. Loki had been right.

But now, with the Infinity stone? _Anything_ was possible.

I poured the power into the ring and it grew hot, burning hot on my finger. I didn't stop. The searing pain at least made me think of something else, and I was distracted from the fact that my mind was unraveling every second. Yeah, don't think of that, _idiot_.

And _there_. I instinctively knew the exact moment when I had filled enough power for the portal, and I raised my trembling hands, and concentrated on Earth. New York. The sanctum and its narrow hallways and it high wooden ceiling and-

The portal snapped into existence, fiery black, and I heard a collective gasp over the sound of my blood rushing.

"Val," I said. She looked at me, face stony. I had told her who to find, what to say, and what to do. She didn't like being the messenger, I knew. But she didn't complain. "Go."

Valkyrie nodded, took a breath and jumped through the portal. I lowered my hands, soon as she disappeared, relieved and anxious at the same time. The first part was over. The warning to Earth will arrive in time.

Now I just had to worry about the thousands of people behind me.

_Where? _I thought loudly, knowing that Loki would be able to hear me. He knew what I was talking about, of course. But then, as I searched my mind for a place for the Asgardian refugees, I realized I already knew the answer.

_Remember this place. Home. _Odin's voice echoed in both mine and Loki's head, and he gave me a curt nod, that really wasn't sharp or curt or unemotional at all. I nodded back, swallowed, and raised my arms again.

It was easier to create the portal the second time, and I watched as the Asgardians scrambled across the biggest portal I have ever made, wide enough for five people to enter at the same time.

The toll on my body was immediate, though. My skin was feverishly hot, burning up from the inside as I struggled to keep my focus on the portal. It was hard to concentrate when you could barely keep a coherent thought in your head. My mind was-my mind was cracking. My eyesight was blurry. It was hard to keep upright.

When about half of the people were through, I staggered, and the portal flickered like a candle in the wind. I immediately regained control, but my head was spinning. I would go-I would go. Insane. Yes. I would go insane, with power, this poison inside me, this parasite that was eating me from the inside. Hadn't I known this would happen? Why, why was-

A hand. On my shoulder. A wave of magic, like the sea, cool and green and deep. It washed over me and cooled my body and our magic merged together like puzzle pieces sliding together. Loki's power guided me, helping me get a finer control, and everything felt infinitely better.

And along with magic, our minds met. And I could suddenly see what _he_ was seeing, and feel what _he_ was feeling.

His emotions were..._complicated, _like a elaborate math problem I couldn't even decode. He didn't think straightforward-ly. His mind spiraled. It was very different from how _I_ thought and felt, which should've been obvious because he _was_ a thousand year old god with that much more experience. But still, it surprised me.

Loki kept out of my mind-I could sense his apprehension and anxiety-but I couldn't back out, too overwhelmed and too inexperienced at being a psychic, and his thoughts flashed in my brain, too fast for me to comprehend. And then suddenly I was falling, falling, _falling_-

_The girl was singing again. I could see her lying on the couch, feet in the air, face scrunched up as she focused on a book, while singing softly at the same time. I opened my mouth to say something biting, something sharp that would make her face go dark and shut up, but I didn't. Instead, I closed my eyes and remembered a time when I was as bright as she was, confident enough to show the world myself._

_The girl was different. She was..._pure_. A part of me wanted to stay away from her, hating her innocence, her ignorant foolishness, but a bigger voice in my head wanted...more. I wanted to _stain _her, to change her, to drag her down to the dirt with me until she lost her shine and her smile and-_

No. This wasn't me. This was Loki's memory, Loki's memory of _me_. I struggled to escape and the world went black and I soared up, up, up, until I was falling again.

_I ran through Asgard's vault, the orb in one hand, paying the timeless artifacts no heed until-_

_The Tesseract. The blue hypnotizing light drew me in and my mind spun. Regis had told me to leave the stones behind but...there was so much _potential_. If Thanos was truly about to attack, we needed all the weapons on hand, even if they could fall into the wrong hands._

_And I knew Regis could harness the power stone. I just had to show her the way, and she would be the most powerful sorcerer the universe had ever seen, powerful enough to defeat Thanos. It seemed all very clear to me._

_Somehow, the knowledge that there would be a sorcerer stronger than me didn't feel threatening like it would have, barely a month ago. Regis would _hate _being the most powerful sorcerer. She had the self-control I admittedly lacked, and the selflessness I didn't even bother with._

_And we could rule the galaxy, with her benevolence and my malevolence and our magic, _together_._

_Maybe it was a voice in my ear. Maybe it was what I believed in. I nevertheless took the Tesseract in one hand and I continued running, to Asgard's demise._

No no no no. _Loki_ continued running. Not me. _Not me._ I breathed in sharply and again, darkness rushed over me and I focused until my head felt like it was going to burst, and opened my eyes.

I was standing in the Asgardian ship, the black portal in front of me and only a handful of people left. I turned my head faintly and saw Loki's gaze on me, our eyes locking together.

_I'm sorry._ I thought. No, _he_ thought. If was hard to discern which one of our thoughts were mine. So I didn't.

_I understand,_ We thought._ I understand you._ A flash of gratefulness, something that felt soothing to our jagged minds.

_Thank you._ We echoed, and we were alone in the auditorium and I let go of the power stone and my legs buckled and we slid down to the ground.

He released his hand on me and suddenly my mind was alone, as it had been for my whole life. But it still felt strangely..._lonely_ and I let out a shiver, blinking back sudden tears.

Loki was looking up, and I followed his gaze and noticed it was too quiet. Much too quiet for a supposed battlefield. The fight was over, and it was obvious which side had won.

Green eyes that for _once_ I could truly understand, pierced into mine. "What do we do?"

I breathed in deeply, filling my lungs with the reused air of the spaceship.

"We face him."

* * *

A/N: 으악 내가 제 같은 챕터이지만 와우 정말 어려워.ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 아니 내가 로맨스 쓰기 싫은데 사람들이 로맨스 쓰라고 해서 짜증나긴 한데 약간 계속 로맨스처럼 쓰게 됨ㅋㅋㅋㅋ오해의 소지를 주고 있긴하는 듯,,,그래서 내가 갑자기 자려고 누워 있는 데 이 챕터 끝에 키스 시킬까 갑자기 정말 무근본 생각을 했는 데 정말 그건 아니야 라는 생각이 다행히 좀 더 강해서 로맨스는 없는 걸롴ㅋㅋ

그래도 스토리가 더 어두워 질거야 기대해;) 그리고 로맨스를 하면 차라리-

아니야. 로맨스는 없어!


	27. Chapter 27 : Rambling and Sacrifices

Thanos was doing his evil villain monologue. I recognized the words from the beginning of Infinity War, and let his voice surround me as I tried to think of a plan.

Absolutely _nothing,_ came to mind.

I was bloody tired. Even with Loki's help, making the portal and especially using the Orb had made me feel like I had ran _miles_ without stopping. My legs threatened to buckle, my body feeling impossibly heavy. If I had just lied down on the ground right there, I would have passed out.

But at least my mind was clear as I surveyed the situation.

There was the Black Order, the three of them standing beside Thanos and the alien wizard walking around like he owned the place. (I disliked that dude immediately.) Heimdall was in between bodies, on the ground but at least I knew he wasn't dead, not yet. And Thor was on his knees, gritting his teeth and generally looking a whole lot in pain and beside him, the slumped figure of Bruce Banner.

I felt a pang in my chest as I realized I couldn't tell if he was alive or not.

"I have a plan," Loki whispered in my ear, and I refused the urge to yell _thank god. _

"What is it?"

"We give him the stones, and then escape."

Right. It would have been _too _good if Loki had came up with a solid, awesome, _real_ plan.

"That's not a plan," I whispered back. "That's just giving up."

"At least we still come out of this with our lives intact," He muttered. "We have a deal, remember? We keep each other alive."

"...I think that deal was a mistake," I mumbled, and then straightened up. "Okay. Sure, let's do that."

"Wait-"

"Thanos!" I yelled, coming out of the shelter made of a metal heap we had been hiding behind. I found I didn't have anything to say, after announcing his name like an idiot. "...Hi." I grabbed Loki's arm, and dragged him out with me.

Thanos, and the Black Order's gazes all stopped on me. No, _Loki_. They were all looking at Loki.

"Loki!" Thor said, his voice broken. "Get out of-" Thanos flicked his head with a hand, knocking him sideways and I felt Loki flinching. I clenched a fist. Wow. That guy was a jerk.

"There you are," Thanos said good-naturedly, which was slightly no _very_ creepy. "I was thinking you had betrayed your brother and your people, like the traitor you are." His tone was so pleasant that I nearly doubted if I was hearing him right.

"Let my brother go," Loki answered, his voice steady despite the obvious storm of emotions he was feeling. "Let him go, and we'll talk."

"It doesn't work like that, I'm afraid." Thanos's gaze wandered, until it came to rest on me. "Who is the child?"

_Child. _I rolled my eyes, and was somewhat surprised that I had the ability to roll my eyes at stupid scary villains in terse situations. I was truly an epitome of Earth's insolent teenagers.

Loki's eyes flitted to me then back at Thanos, and I could see him visibly hesitate. I decided to step in, save him from his miserable suffering.

"_The child, _is someone that has an offer for you." I drawled, my voice containing the exact amount of sarcasm and dryness I would reserve for situations where I had to confront an idiotic adult. I excelled at this voice. It was, in fact, my secret weapon.

Thanos raised an eyebrow, face still not without humor. I had to admit he was on a different level than the usual adults I dealt with.

"And pray tell, what offer is that?"

I frowned a bit. "You know that Loki has the Tesseract, right?"

Loki snapped his head to look at me with a _what the fuck _face and I coolly ignored him. He looked betrayed.

"Of course," Thanos answered, some of the amusement sliding off his face. Good. It was probably better for him to take me seriously.

I nodded, wrinkling my nose as I smiled generously. Something felt incredibly funny. Most likely that I was going somewhat insane and my mouth was growing a mind of its own.

"Well," I raised up a finger. "Here's the killer part." I turned that finger into a finger gun, and shot it at him with a click of the tongue. "Do you know where the power stone is? I mean, you have to find it, right? It's part of your stupid plan to wipe out the half of the universe."

"...Stupid plan?" The alien wizard, uh, whatshisname, echoed, voice strangled. "How dare you speak to the Great Titan-"

"I mean, it is kinda stupid," I said earnestly. "Honestly. I get that you think that will bring," I air-quoted. "_Order to the universe, _whatever that is, and I agree, overpopulation _will_ become a problem in the distant future." I scratched the back of my head, pausing for maximum impact.

"But then, you _do_ realize that most of the lack of food and resources problem is because of the lack of _distribution, _not overpopulation?"

Thanos was definitely not smiling now. I knew it was petty, but I still liked it.

"The universe lacks balance," Alien wizard-he looked like a Phil-, argued. "This universe is finite, its resources finite. Thanos will save the-"

"Right. If the universe is really finite, and we all lack resources and shit," I rubbed my chin, mockingly pondering. Then I snapped my fingers, like the idea just popped into my mind. "Let's use the stones to actually _create _a supply of food and water! Then the problem is solved!"

Phil shut up. I nodded slowly, this time. "Right. You can't argue with logic, you narcissistic son of a-."

"Enough," Thanos growled, cutting my words off violently. "I will not discuss my beliefs with a mere human child. I _will_ collect all six Infinity stones, and do what no one has ever attempted before. I will bring _salvation_ to the universe."

I winced pitifully. "Um, sure. Go right ahead. And please don't forget to say something smug and villainous _not_ regarding salvation before you do it. It'll build you character, I _promise_ you."

"...You mock me." I desperately wanted to say _have you _just _figured that out?._ But Thanos was saying it with a tilt of his head that wasn't petulant at all and I didn't want to say such a predictable line, so I refrained.

"Are you not afraid of me?" He hummed, his voice deep. "Someone who literally have all of your lives in my grasp?"

"Oh, no. I'm _very_ scared of you." I shrugged. "But then I'm also scared of spiders and clowns and knocks on my door in the middle of the night, so...you shouldn't feel so privileged." I said dismissively, and we laughed together like good friends, my mind screaming _just shut up __I don't want to die. _

I really didn't. I wanted to have a long and healthy life, but my mouth seemed to have missed the memo.

"You're amusing," He chuckled. "Perhaps I should keep you around."

"I'm not a pet," I told him with a lop sided grin. "But I would be willing to speak an eulogy at your funeral. I have plenty of good puns-, uh, _lines_ I could put to good use."

"Oh? What makes you think that you will be alive when I am not?"

The grin somewhat froze on my face but it was still there, lucky for my poker face. Ugh, I was too tired for this casual threatening bullshit. Maybe that was the reason my words were so un-filtered.

"Ah. Didn't I tell you? I know the future." I spread my palms. "It's hard to miss my death in my own future," I bluffed, sincerely hoping he wouldn't actually ask me the date or something. But thankfully the pronouncement seemed to have thrown him off, because he narrowed his eyes, looking threatened for once.

"You know the future," He said, making it sound more like a question than a statement, and I smiled serenely.

"Yup."

"Do I succeed in bringing the world to a balance?"

I laughed out loud suddenly, painfully aware that I was toeing the line between excruciating death, and clean death. But something made me so _angry _all of a sudden, the way he was so oblivious and so stupid and so unaware of how everything _worked_. People don't just carry on happily after their family members turn to dust. The society doesn't just walk off the losses. His agenda didn't _make any sense. _And I _hated _his casual ignorance.

"You are never going to win, Thanos. No matter what your motives or plan is. You are never, ever going to win. This _universe _doesn't work like that." I snorted sardonically. "The world's heroes will fight against you to the very end and will win _every time, _and you don't stand a chance. And this is just not misplaced optimism, but it's the truth, because this universe, _this world_ is-"

Suddenly the world came to a halt, a metaphoric bucket of cold water over my head, because _I couldn't believe I almost said-I almost just said that this world was not real. _

"This world is _what?_" Thanos questioned, forehead wrinkled and I knew, instinctively, that he could sense what I had been about to say was crucial. It would have almost been comical how he was listening to me so very carefully, if I didn't know that I almost screwed up this entire universe.

Loki shot me a pale questioning look and I swallowed, breathing shallowly through my mouth.

"Nothing," I said meekly, suddenly feeling subdued and hating it. "It's nothing."

The lines on his face deepened with a scowl, and he shook his head. "It is clearly not _nothing,_" He answered and I gave him a flat stare, wishing I could turn back time and fix that mistake.

"The power stone." I said instead, dropping the dramatics. "You know it was stolen from Xandar, yes?"

He gave me a look that said he knew very well I was changing the subject, but tilted his head. "Yes."

"I know where it is. And I'll teach you, if you just let Thor go."

I could see exactly when his face hardened, the titan switching focus on to the Infinity stone immediately. I pointedly didn't look at Loki, because I knew that he wouldn't get it. Worse, he could spoil the entire plan I had hatched in mid air.

"What-" Thor attempted to say, but was cut off when the alien wizard hushed him with magic. Out the corner of my eyes, I saw Heimdall's body twitching. I just hoped he remembered what I told him earlier.

"How do I know if you're telling the truth?" Thanos asked, voice distrusting, and I pursed my lips.

"You just need to let Thor go, and I'll guide you to it. Since you can, I don't know, torture Loki and get the space stone and I'll lead you to the power stone, you'll be getting two stones! Killing two stones with one bird."

Right. That did not make any sense. "So, will you take the offer?"

He looked at me, his eyes piercing through me in a manner that was somewhat irritating and got on my nerves. But then, everything about that man got on my nerves. That ridiculous jaw. That purple skin. I mean, Gamora, even with green skin, was gorgeous. But _purple_? Seriously? Oh shit. Was I a racist?

I recognized the symptoms of my semi-hyperventilation. I was thinking too much and too hard about minor details. But, being racist was major, wasn't it? Okay, _shut up, brain._

"Why don't I just make you tell me?" His lips curled. "Why release someone who could become a threat in the future?"

"Uh, because you would just waste time? If Earth hears that you're coming, they will have time to prepare and all that." I shrugged slightly. "Why waste your precious time when you can use it to track down all the other stones? And as you've seen, Thor isn't much of a threat to you." I winced. "Sorry, Thor."

Thanos considered, and I held my breath, looking away and trying to catch Heimdall's gaze. He was on his knees now, but the Black Order didn't move without Thanos's orders. (And yes, the pun fell flat on its face.)

I was also aware of Loki's body being incredibly still, as he was probably very confused. And a bit hurt. Yeah, I kinda did take it too far with that torture comment, but I did think I could be let off the hook since my idiotic plan was working shockingly well until now. Except for that part where I almost told everyone they were movie characters. Yeah, except that part.

"Very well," Thanos agreed, and gestured at Phil to release Thor. "But if you betray me, I'll guarantee you that your death will not be a pleasant one."

How could _any_ death be pleasant? I gulped and watched as the God of Thunder stumbled to his feet, blood dripping off his face. Bruce stirred in his unconsciousness, and my heart soared a bit as I realized everyone was alive. Just yet. Thor glared murderously at Thanos, and opened his mouth to say something undoubtedly threatening but I cleared my throat, making him turn to me instead.

"Go find the Guardians of the Galaxy," I told him quietly. "They will help, Thor."

His lips trembled as he glanced at Loki and back, and I could sense he was about to say something incredibly emotional that was probably also incredibly cringey, so I spoke quickly.

"Thor, I got this. Just go." I said, looking at him dead in the eyes. "_Walk_ _away_."

And he did so, after a long moment of hesitation. Heimdall joined Loki and me standing vigilantly by our side as we all watched the escape pod fly away from the ship, and Thanos tilted his head at me.

"Why Thor?"

"What?" I slipped my hand into my pocket, and materialized the orb, throwing a sheen of magic over it to disguise its power. The moment was coming and adrenaline surged again, the last round of energy filling my body. I was hyper-aware of everything, the way the Black Order was silent and strong and threatening and Bruce opening his eyes and Heimdall giving me a stoic look.

"Just curious, I suppose. Your offer does not even mention anything to do with yourself and your safety." He remarked, and Phil frowned. Oh. Phil was frowning. That was bad. That was _really_ bad.

"I am that kind of selfless person, I guess. And also, Thor is very hot." I rambled, flicking open the Orb. Phil opened his mouth in alarm and I continued on. "Have you seen his face? And the muscles? Such a _dreamboat_ and Heimdall, NOW."

The bi-frost flashed, sweeping Bruce away and I grabbed the power stone, gasping as the power filled me to the brim. I noticed too late the dagger of glass shooting towards us and Heimdall was suddenly in front of me and his breath hitched, the blade protruding from out his back. I cried out, my heart in my throat and Loki grabbed me, and we _spun_ and the portal was there. We fell through.

Loki immediately turned sideways to avoid falling on me, so that _I_ ended up falling on him instead and the portal fizzed out, leaving the both of us lying on the ground and breathing harshly. I stared into his green eyes, his pupils blown wide with surprise.

"Heimdall," I breathed out, the shock in my voice clear. I scrambled to dig out the power stone from my pocket, gripping it desperately. "We have to-"

"It's too late," He closed a fist over my trembling hand gently. "He's gone."

"No, you _jackass_!" I couldn't look at his pained expression. I couldn't look at _anything, _my eyesight blurry with tears. "We can save him. We _have to go back_-"

"I'm sorry," Loki murmured softly and I dug my nails into my palm, hating myself for knowing he was right.

"He died for me," I whispered, terrified of the prospect of what that meant. It meant _everything. _If I had gotten control of the power stone a second earlier, he would have still been alive. _He would have still be alive. _

"It was his choice," He reminded me, acting a bit uncharacteristically. But he had known Heimdall for longer than I did. He was also in grief, his emotionless face betrayed by the hitch in his voice.

I opened my mouth to say something, most likely an apology, but someone cleared his throat in a very familiar way and I turned to look up at Tony Stark standing there, face both relieved and guarded.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" He called out, and Stephen Strange, next to him with his arms crossed, shook his head slowly.

"Sorry, but I don't get it either."

Then the Hulk crashed through the roof.

* * *

A/N: Why is it that when I try not to write like a romance, my writings become even more heavily imbued with a layer of romance?

...Still not happening, folks.


	28. Chapter 28 : The Avengers

I scrambled up, kicking Loki's shin in the process. He groaned, dramatically clutching at his leg and I kicked him again, my eyes fixed on the two superheroes in front of me. Strange and Stark. God, it had been almost a month since I last saw them. Although, time _did_ move weirdly in Sakaar.

The two guys seemed conflicted between checking out the huge crater Hulk left and regarding Loki, who was still on the floor, with suspicion. I tried not to roll my eyes at Loki's theatrics, knowing fully well he was only doing that to make the other people in the room annoyed. "Get up," I hissed under my breath.

"But of course," Loki answered with an poised, fake elegance, and stood up with a dignity fitted for royalty. His stance had changed completely when he had noticed who else were in the room. It was much...fake. It was he had slipped back into the role of Loki, the supervillain, that wanted nothing more than rule the puny mortals and stare in the mirror all day_. _It was disconcerting to say the least, because I wished he wouldn't try to act like someone he wasn't. Well, except for that mirror part.

I bit the inside of my cheek, hating the humor that popped up but knowing there wasn't anything I could do. Heimdall's death was still fresh on my mind, but I pushed that back as I tried to focus on the present. I would think about him after the immediate threat was over, and we were all safe and sound, when I had gotten revenge. After I had killed Phil.

The thought didn't make me feel as nervous as it would have. I was ready to kill someone. What did that say about my morals?

I shook my thoughts off and stalked forward, peering over the edge of Hulk's hole, to see a half-naked Bruce Banner lying there instead. The three guys walked to stand beside me.

"You okay?" I called out, and Bruce twitched, his bare arms shaking as his eyes cracked open.

"Thanos. Thanos is coming." He croaked without any context whatsoever, and Tony whipped off his sunglasses.

"We know, buddy. Where _were_ you for the last two years? What-"

Bruce's eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out again to my dismay. Tony, like the mature adult he was, made a face.

"Sorry I wasn't interesting enough to stay awake for," He grumbled with a petulant, but _pleased_ air because his friend was alive. Typical Tony Stark. I realized with a faint smile that I had kinda missed the dude.

"Well," I spun around to Strange and Tony, anxious to say something to break the ice. "Surprise! I'm still alive."

"We also knew that," Tony replied easily. "The scary lady with the sword told us."

"Valkyrie?"

"Her name is _Valkyrie_?" He shook his head with a disbelieving look. "Right. Makes perfect sense now."

"Anyway," Strange interrupted Tony's musing, giving me a brief smile. "I'm happy to see that I haven't managed to let my apprentice die, like someone kept saying I did."

Tony rolled his eyes, waving a hand. "She was in your care for like five minutes, and she gets kidnapped by an evil god? That _is_ sort of your fault."

"No it's not," Strange and I chorused. "It's Loki's fault." I finished, with a look thrown at the said evil god. He answered with one of his patented fake smiles, but kept quiet. Probably for the best, because everyone was acting like he didn't exist right now. Especially Tony.

"So where's Vision? What happened to the mind stone?" I changed the subject, trying to get a grasp on what the situation was here on Earth. "Val did warn you that the Black Order was coming, right? Have you prepa-"

"Right." Strange held up a finger. "I'll explain everything when we get there."

"There? Where's _there_?"

"Which I'll also explain when we get there." He turned and levitated Bruce's limp body with a single flick of his left hand. With the other, he opened a portal. "Go on,"

Tony frowned, holding up a hand hesitantly. "Are they gonna be okay with," He pointed at Loki. "Him being there?"

"You don't actually think I _want_ to go wherever you're going?" Loki said sardonically, a sneer on his face. "I am not-"

"Actually, you're going." I stopped him, tilting my head to try to peek through the portal. I had a pretty good idea where it lead to, and I was starting to get some jitters. "And you'll be fine, as long as you don't try to kill anyone."

He gave me a flat look that said _I-can't-not-try-to-kill-anyone. _I raised an eyebrow, like _you-owe-me-a-fucking-lot_. He set his lips in a straight line and rolled his eyes, sagging.

"Fine."

"Did he just say _fine_?" Tony perked up, eyebrows knitted together. "Am I hearing things?"

"You're not." Strange said, sounding slightly annoyed, and gestured at the portal. "We're running out of time. Go."

And Tony, after another moment of pause, walked through with his sunglasses in his grip. Loki and I shared a look, and followed.

* * *

We walked out in a room filled with superheroes.

I have never felt that small as I did that moment, because really, Hollywood was intimidating. It was scary. Creepy. And it was staring at me with the faces of almost a dozen people.

So, to start, Vision and Wanda were standing together at one corner of the room, and I noticed with a blink that his mind stone was gone. I breathed out a relieved sigh. At least that was one problem solved.

Next to them were Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers, and Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, and I had never thought that I would ever get to name-drop like this crazily. Wow. They were all _there. _Unbelievable. I had gotten used to seeing celebrities after meeting Loki, but this many of them at once? I was feeling slightly faint.

At the center of the room were Shuri and her brother T'Challa, turning their heads to look at us. Wakanda, as I had guessed. I felt a bubble of fangirlness rising in my chest. And to their right were James Rhodes, sitting in a comfortable-looking armchair, and Valkyrie, standing stiffly behind it. The wide doors behind us were guarded by two bald scary looking women warriors.

I gaped. They gaped. But I was pretty sure they were mostly gaping at Loki.

But then Strange entered, Bruce literally _hovering_ by his side, and Shuri threw her hands up in the air, breaking the silence.

"Great. Another broken white boy for me to fix." She looked stonily at Strange. "I don't know who you are, or how you're doing that," She waved her hand at the levitation. "thing, but follow me."

Then she stalked out of the room. Strange furrowed his brows and looked confused, but went after her after a moment.

Then there was silence again.

I waved at Wanda, who waved back after a pregnant pause. She smiled, the only one who looked somewhat relieved to see me in that room, aside from Tony.

"Wow," Tony, speaking, well _thinking_ of the devil, said. "This is awkward."

"Is everyone safe?" Valkyrie asked, ignoring Tony's mutterings and looking right at me. "Did you get everyone out?"

I bit my lower lip, my mind suddenly going back to that moment when I was so sure everything was going to be fine and I had won but then-_Heimdall. _I gave a little shake of my head. "No. Heimdall, Heimdall's-"

"He's dead." Loki, ever so eloquently, spat.

Val's expression was hard to read, but I knew what she was thinking.

"I'm sorry," I said, helplessly. I opened my mouth to mumble some other decencies, but Val stopped me with a look.

"It's not your fault. What about Thor?"

"Uh, hopefully meeting up with the Guardians."

"Guardians?" Steve Rogers said, hands clasped in front of him, and I panicked a little. Everyone looked better when you saw them in real life, but he specifically more so. He was super hot. _Everyone _was super hot.

"Um, yeah. The guardians of the galaxy. They're going to help stop Thanos."

"That's a stupid name," Tony muttered, and was shot a glare from at least five people in the room. "Just saying."

"Avengers is also stupid," I murmured, and Loki laughed. And everybody in the room glared at him.

"What is he doing here?" Natasha Romanoff asked quietly, a glint in her eyes that spooked me more than it should. T'Challa raised his head, rubbing his chin.

"I was about to ask the same question. Why has Dr. Strange allowed him to come to Wakanda, my country?"

"You are the king of this place?" Loki hummed.

"Yes."

"Well, good for you." He smirked with a certain familiar venom in his voice, and I narrowed my eyes. This was really not going well.

I cleared my throat. "Um, he's promised he won't hurt anyone, so you don't have to worry about hiim."

"He's the god of lies. How can we trust his promises?" James Rhodes asked skeptically, and Loki chuckled in a low voice.

"You don't." He answered simply, and I fought off the urge to smack him in the face.

"Dude," I whispered. "Shut up."

That got me the attention of most people in the room. Apparently, saying shuddup to a god was a qualification for the superheroes.

"This is Regis Lee," Tony gestured lazily. "She's the who got the most of you in this room, so say hi."

"Hi." I said. Then realized he probably meant that for them. "I'm a fan."I blurted out.

"Of who?" Tony tilted his head, and I pursed my lips.

"All of you, to be honest. But I'll try to be cool, because I am really cool, and I didn't just say that I was a fan of you all." I nodded. "Right. So. Thanos is coming. I mean, he's already here. Well, his goons are. The Black Order will be here any moment now, to collect the stones." I turned to Tony. "You did tell them about his plan?"

"Yup." He popped the p. "Wipe out half the universe. Some are skeptical."

Bucky Barnes raised a metal hand. Wait, he and Tony were in the same room? What _had _happened when I was gone?

"I'm the skeptical one," He said carefully. "How do you know all this? How do we even know if we can trust you?"

I tried for a smile, but it came out somewhat strangled. "I know things."

"I think I've heard that a dozen times by now," Loki muttered, and I shot him a look.

"Or more clearly, I am aware of what the future might have been. But we've been actively changing that, starting with the stones, so it might be a little confusing for you all. But believe me when I say we can't let Thanos get his hands on even a single Infinity stone."

"About these stones," Steve paused. "They are _that _powerful?"

Loki sneered. "The power stone can wipe out planets in a blink of your eyes. Yes, they _are_ that powerful." He said distastefully. I nodded.

"What he said, but in nicer words."

"And where are these stones now?" T'Challa balanced his staff, looking carefully at me. "The mind stone was destroyed by Ms. Maximoff. The others?"

I smiled, more genuinely this time. "The reality stone is on Knowhere with the Collector. The soul stone is on Vormir, and the rest three is on Earth, right now."

"Where on Earth?" Steve narrowed his eyes and I snapped my fingers, materializing the Tesseract and the Orb in the air. The people in the room took a collective step back. I hid a grin. God, this was a great party trick.

"These two, and Doc has the time stone."

"_You_ have the stones?" Tony chocked, staring at the glow of the stones. "I thought they were super duper powerful?"

"Yup. I'm super duper powerful, which means that the Black Order will come for us here in Wakanda."

"Oh good. More guests." T'Challa muttered dryly, and the less serious people in the room all wore a face of nervous amusement.

"But we'll be prepared," Steve-who was very very serious- said, a look of heavy determination on his face. "We'll protect the stones."

"And then what? What do we do about the Brown Order or whatever that is? And Thanos? What happens _after_?" Tony asked, arms crossed, and all of the Avengers turned to me, probably all aware that I was a teenager but nonetheless relying on me to give them an answer.

I thought about Thanos, and his egoistic and narcissistic ways that propelled him to kill his own daughter. I thought about Phil, and the glint in his eyes as he had thrown that dagger that had been determined for me. I remembered how Heimdall fell, with no strength left in his body, and I remembered the hopelessness I had felt when I knew there was nothing more I could do.

A glacial smile found itself on my face.

"And then we kill them," I said simply, casually adjusting the jacket's cuffs with a hand. "We kill them all."


	29. Chapter 29 : XOXO

The spaceship landed in close distance to Wakanda's palace, and as three figures strode out the shield went up, sealing the palace and the spaceship in a transparent and transcendent dome.

No one was getting in. And more importantly, no one was getting out.

_"Surrender the stones, and face the inevitable,"_ Phil's voice was magically amplified, his voice echoing in the palace's long halls and sending shivers down the back of my neck. It was as if he was standing right behind me, and I noted the coax of his smooth purring tone that signified sorcery was infused. Irrational fear shot through my veins and my knees went weak.

If I had not seen what Phil had done before and hadn't personally fought against the lure of the power stone and more, I would have been shaking, filled with the urge to give him the stones, the world, _anything. _

But I had. And the weak-willed had no place on the battlefield.

The Avengers and Loki emerged, face determined and battle-hardened, weapons in hands. Shuri and I watched through the third dimensional live footage of the grassland, my body still and brimming with tension. I had wanted to fight. The adults had disagreed. But then Loki had given me a look that promised what he was best at-revenge, a dish best served cold- and I had accepted, that _fine, I'll be the last resort if something goes horribly wrong._

Looking at the screen, I had to admit the chances of something going horribly wrong was very low. It was three versus Earth's mightiest heroes and all of Wakanda's army. They hadn't expected us to be prepared, and they were paying for it.

The fight was over as soon as it begun. The demonic looking woman surrendered first-Wanda and Natasha and Val all together were _very _scary-, the giant following after Steve and Bucky and T'Challa ganged up on him, striking him without pause until he was on his knees.

Phil, on the other hand, managed to hold up the fight. He lifted a hand, shielding himself from all the ammunition coming from the sky, and muttered spells after spells, manipulating magic to do something that Strange undid with a movement of his hands, his face strained. Then Loki lunged forward and split into a dozen illusions of himself that all lunged and Phil swept out an arm and the daggers of glass shot forward in all direction.

My breath hitched, but the cape flung itself over Strange and the remaining real Loki flicked his hand, and the dagger shot away, driving back to Phil. He reflected easily, eyes flashing with irritation and a hint of fear. He had probably thought taking the stones would be simple. Undemanding.

Well, that hardly was the case.

Tony seized the moment and blasted his repulsors, and under the combined power of War Machine and Vision, Phil staggered, his shield barely persisting. Strange whipped his hands out and ropes of magic slithered up Phil's legs, holding him still, and Falcon shot his bullets, finally shattering the shield.

Loki stalked forward, one hand flipping a dagger, the other hand palm outward and twisting. Phil dropped to his knees with a jerk, moving stiffly like a marionette.

"Any last words?" Loki asked, his voice cold and cruel. I held my breath, knowing that we were separated by multiple walls and the wide space between us, but somehow feeling as if I was the one with the knife in my hand.

Phil looked up, face pale and grim and afraid and accepting his end. He took a breath, his lips turning upwards.

"Be aware. Father is not a merci-"

Loki slashed and Phil toppled, his words dying on his lips as his lifeblood gushed. The giant and the demon woman screamed out in rage, but was held back. Heroes watched in silence, as their once-enemy stood over the corpse of their current-enemy, and I released my breath and Loki dropped his dagger, flicks of blood on his face.

I closed my eyes. For now, the battle was over.

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair.

Everyone chattered, but then everyone still had doubts that they kept locked away in their minds. I talked to the people I knew, and the people I was getting to know talked to me, all curious about my quote unquote _power_ and Loki and what I had been up to when I had disappeared.

I explained, the attention still feeling a bit odd and overwhelming. Steve and Natasha were the ones that were most reserved about me, probably because of my age. But Bucky, for some reason, was easier to talk to. He was so down-to-earth that it made you forget he had been an mindless assassin for about 70 years.

Tony and Strange quipped and snarked and generally kept the mood up, but I still noticed the tension between Tony and Steve. Their animosity had cleared somewhat, but it wasn't completely gone. I made a mental note to ask Tony what exactly had happened.

The others were more easy going, even Vision, and everyone except Loki were smiling by the time dessert was served. Loki was a grouch. I didn't bother trying to include him in the conversations.

But still, it was a miracle that Loki was sitting at the same table with all the other heroes. Fighting together, I hoped, had formed some sort of bond that optimistically wouldn't be broken by his betrayal again. Bruce joined with Shuri for the delicious African fruit with a name I couldn't pronounce and he confirmed my story about Sakaar, due to some people's- most prominently Sam's- disbelief.

Then they agreed to meet up again at night, to talk. I was 70 percent sure I was included. Um, more like 65 percent.

Everyone headed back to their rooms to wash or nap or watch TV or whatever superheroes did in their time and Shuri, who was great company and understood all my pop culture references, lead me to mine. It was big. And well decorated. And...

I admit, I didn't look at everything so carefully. I just bee-lined to the bed and collapsed.

I woke up from a nap I hadn't even realized I had had when there was a knock on the door. I blinked, and someone entered. Judging by how that person didn't wait for an answer, it was most definitely-

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Loki asked, without any preemptive whatsoever. I rubbed at my eyes groggily.

"Since when do you care about the right thing?"

He went silent. I sighed, sitting up and stretching my arms. "Our actions can't be just defined by whether it's wrong or right. It's more complicated than that, which you know very well."

"I do."

"So why do you ask?"

"I don't know."

I nodded slowly. "Having a conscience is a tricky thing."

"...How do humans do it?"

I surprised myself with laughter, suddenly feeling amused about the whole thing. He raised a formidable eyebrow.

"I don't know how humans do it either," I replied, snorting. "I'm even murky about how _I _do it, too. I'm not the best person to ask, Loki. I'm not really a deep and thoughtful person, although that might shock you."

"I'm incredibly shocked," Loki muttered, rolling his eyes and I smiled wryly.

"You should ask Steve."

"The Captain?"

"Yeah." I lit up, as I thought about it. Steve probably still had doubts about Loki, but if Loki asked him about morality, he would _definitely_ trust him more. It was a brilliant idea. I stood quickly, ushering the dude to the room door before he could say anything. "He's the greatest guy I know. Well, the greatest guy I don't know. You should totally ask him."

"I am not-"

I opened the door with a tilt of my head. "If you talk to him, I'll consider your debt paid."

"My debt," He echoed, eyes narrowed. I bobbed my head upside down quickly.

"You know, that not following my order thing. That almost got all of us killed."

"...Fine." Loki reluctantly answered, with a look that said he didn't like this at all.

But still, _ha_. That was a great card to play. I grinned.

"Awesome. Uh, do you know where he is?"

He crossed his arms grumpily and strode on, and I almost had to jog to keep up. Ugh. Did I mention that I hate tall people? I think I have.

"They say he's still a virgin," I stage-whispered, grabbing his arm and slowing him down. "Do you think so?"

"I don't care." He replied curtly.

"But still. He's like a hundred years old. I've seen him kiss people, though. I mean not s_een, _but, uh, yeah." I said awkwardly. "Do you think he's with Bucky? It would make total sense if he was. Wait. Do you think he's straight or not?"

He threw up his hands in the air. "As I said, _I don't care_."

I scowled. "Well you should. I'm your friend and you should listen and care about what I say."

Loki rolled his eyes. "I can hardly force myself to care about something I don't, not in the infinitesimal bit."

"I don't know what that word means but I can _guess_, you know." I shook my head, annoyed. "Then at least make appropriate sounds."

"Mmm," He rolled his eyes again, and I paused, amused.

"...That really wasn't appropriate. But anyway. Do you have a gaydar?"

He made a face. "A _gaydar_?"

"Like can you tell if a person likes people of their own gender."

"Maybe."

"That also wasn't a very appropriate answer, man." I giggled. "You should kiss him."

"Why on Asgard would I do _that_?"

"Can't you tell if he's gay or not if you kiss him?"

"I don't think he'll appreciate me kissing him."

"Yeah. He'll probably throw a shield at you. You're probably a terrible kisser."

"I'm not-"

"Then you should kiss him," I tried to hold back a giggle. God, what was I doing? But it was funny to prank on Loki. He was oddly imperceptible to what I did.

He abruptly stopped walking, and turned to me with a small frown on his face. "I thought you wanted me to _talk _to him."

"Uh-huh. Then you should kiss him. Like as a thank you."

"Why would I-"

"It's a bet," I said dramatically, in that hushed tone of voice that egged on other people to do stupid things. "I bet you can't. If you do, I don't know," I shrugged. "I'll grant you a wish or something."

A moment passed, while he considered his options. I really expected Loki to scowl and say no. I didn't expect him to smirk wickedly and nod, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"It's on, then." He said, and a chill went down my spine. I suddenly had a bad feeling about this. Why was it that when everything was going the way _I_ had wanted it to go, I felt like he outmaneuvered me?

I crossed my arms. Nope. I was going to enjoy watching Loki kissing Captain America and get punched in the face. Nothing was going to go wrong.

When we went from therapy session to make-out session was beyond me, and we finally caught sight of Steve standing on the balcony next to where we had our dinner, looking out over Wakanda's lush greenery. We stopped around the corner of the hall, and I gestured at Loki.

_Go on_, I mouthed with a smirk. He smiled back devilishly, and motioned at me to stay there.

Then he approached the Captain.

I noticed, a moment too late, that he was me. Yes, you didn't read that wrong. _He was me_. The smirk froze on my face as I realized the hand that tapped on Steve's back was _my _hand, and the smile that flashed was _my _smile.

_Loki was wearing my bloody body._

I was too far away to hear what they conversed about, but I still knew what was about to happen. _God no no no_ and I tried to open my mouth but I realized, again, that I was frozen. Loki had cast a petrifying spell on me when he had motioned. That son of a-

Loki Me said something, wringing her, no _his _hands, his face looking sad and embarrassed. I did _not _look like that, did I? She-no _he_ looked so much like a kicked puppy. Like a lost cat. A sad animal. I internally groaned.

Anger and astonishment all bubbled in my chest and I also, _annoyingly_, felt a sense of karma, because I had to admit, Loki one-upped me. It was obvious he was going to kis-agh I couldn't say it.

Steve smiled considerately, and said something that made Loki Me look up through her eyelashes in shy awe. I refused the urge to kick Loki Me between the legs, because I would be basically kicking myself, and _I did not look up through my eyelashes in shy awe like that. I did not._ Loki was a crappy actor, obviously exaggerating his expressions to aggravate me, and the only reason Steve didn't realize anything was off was because he didn't know me that well.

It was embarrassing. And disgusting. And-

She tiptoed on her feet and leaned up and kissed him, and I died a little inside. The worst part was that I couldn't look away, or throw up like I wanted to do. I was petrified to the spot. And apparently Steve was too, because he just stood there, wide-eyed, and let who he thought was me kiss him.

Loki Me stepped back, her face all anxious and sappy, and said something. Then she rushed away, back around the corner and then she was smirking at me with a Loki look, the sappy look wiped off immediately. Let me tell you, it was really weird to see a Loki look on _my_ face. You know how when you take a picture of yourself and it doesn't look like you? It felt like that, except a millions times more mortifying.

"You have lost the bet," She-he said smugly. "I believe now you have my wish to fulfill."

I squeaked with indignation, and found that I could talk again. "I do not look like _that_!"

"Yes you do." She raised an eyebrow at me and it was so disconcerting that I stepped back.

"Okay fine, ditch the illusion." He did. "You were supposed to kiss him as _yourself_!"

"There was no talk of which illusion I couldn't use. You just told me to kiss him."

"But it's _obviously_-" I threw my hands up in the air. "Agh, trickery!"

He grinned, and we started walking again towards the dining hall, me looking back whenever I could to make sure Cap wasn't following us.

"What did you say to him?" I hissed.

"Nothing important."

"You said _nothing_ _important_ and _kissed_ him? _Seriously,_ dude?"

"He didn't throw a shield in your face, at least."

"...Of course he didn't. I'm far prettier than you." He rolled his eyes at that, and I put my face in my palms. This was so mortifying. And I was pretty sure Loki didn't say _nothing important _to Steve. He probably made an exclamation of his hopeless crush or something. Fuck.

"At least we know one thing," Loki said, flicking hair out of his eyes.

"What is that, and it better be important because if it's not there was nothing out of that kiss and I will punch you." I deadpanned, and he gave me a strange look that was followed by a absentminded shrug.

"I think you'll needlessly violent, and I can't tell if Captain America being a moderate kisser is worthy enough for you."

"Needlessly? _Moderate_?"

"I am too good for him to compare." He announced proudly, and I sagged. I was _so_ fucked.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! They keep me writing.

I have a mild idea of where the story is going, but generally I'm just doing what I want to do. I would appreciate any constructive feedback:)

나는 진짜 아무것도 안하고 있음 수업도 대충들고 학원은 안다님ㅋㅋㅋ그냥 놀아야지 뭐. 굉장히 불량한 학생처럼 보이네요.


	30. Chapter 30 : Plans and Embarrassments

The room was already filled with people when we got there, including Rogers, who was standing in the corner with a funny look on his face. I shook my head faintly. I really hated his beard. It didn't really look _good_ on him, but then, who cares what _I_ think? I smiled ruefully, and ignored the dude as best as I could with Loki wearing a stupid little smirk. I smacked him in the arm discreetly. Wanda's eyebrows shot up and I winced, guessing it hadn't been _too_ discreet.

"So." Tony started, his eyes flitting over the room and checking if everybody was here. He was fidgeting with something metal in his hands, looking entirely cool except for that constant fidgeting. That man desperately needed a fidget-spinner. "What's our game plan?"

"We have talked to Thanos's children," Okoye said, holding her body ramrod straight. "They are not willing to help us."

"They would rather die than be held captive," T'Challa murmured, voice distant. "I admire their conviction, even though they are our foes."

"Well, that's not gonna help any of us." Rhodes retorted, arms crossed. "What else do we know about where Thanos is, right now? Is there any more of the Black Order? What do we do with the ones we have?"

Heads turned to me, and I shifted my feet, uncomfortable in the spotlight.

But I had to deal. It wasn't like I was going to escape just because it got embarrassing. And mortifying. Loki Me kissing Steve played in a loop in my mind, and I shuddered. And tried to get a grip.

"Thanos is probably heading towards Knowhere, for the reality stone." I pursed my lips, holding back a wince. "And there _is_ one member of the Black Order left, and..._alsoanarmyoffacelessaliens_." I rushed, wishing I had told this to someone else before dropping the bomb. I had no idea how people would react.

Several variations of _what the fuck_ echoed through out the room.

"An army of faceless aliens," Strange repeated, eyes narrowed. "How many?"

"Um, not too many for you guys to handle." Yeah, that sounded like a crappy answer. But how was I supposed to know? The movie didn't give us a statistic, for god's sake.

"So you don't know the exact number," Bruce remarked, looking highly nervous. He scratched at his forehead. "When?"

I hesitated. Wow. I did not know a lot of things. "As soon as they realize we won?"

"Wakanda is in danger," T'Challa muttered, then murmured something in Okoye's ear. She nodded curtly, then left the room.

"Um, by the way," I started, jamming my hands in my pocket. "We also kinda need to split up. We have to get to Knowhere before Thanos does."

"We are not splitting up," Rogers shook his head immediately, setting his jaw. "We have the most power if we meet Thanos on our homeground, all of us together."

"But we can't let him get his hands on even a single stone," I protested, my eyes focusing on somewhere behind Steve's serious look and serious face. "It would all be over then."

"Since when do we operate on strategies from sixteen year olds?" Natasha remarked, her tone cold but not cruel, and I flushed, my hand fiddling with the slingring. I didn't bother telling her she got my age wrong.

"Since I exist," I replied instead, trying to clear all emotion from my voice.

Natasha's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to retort but then Tony cleared his throat.

"Look, I get that you all have doubts about her age and reliability, but she was right about the Black Order. And Thanos. I can't imagine what would have happened if we hadn't been forewarned. So let's talk about this." He gave a faint shrug. "I don't like the idea of splitting up either, but I think it's necessary."

And what happened was very chaotic.

I generally stayed out of all the debate, just answering questions to the best of my ability and mostly failing to clearly answer. I watched, along with Loki-who was strangely silent- as people talked and argued and talked. They changed their minds then changed it back and then switched sides all together, and it was pretty fascinating, how they were all clearly civilized sophisticated people who were wonderful at speeches but happened to be also good at fighting so that was what they did for a living.

If we were just _debating_ with Thanos, he wouldn't even have a chance.

In the end it came down to again, Rogers versus Stark, a confrontation everyone was subtly trying to avoid. They tiptoed around it and twitched whenever someone raised their voice and finally, it was so obvious that the two of them looked equally exasperated.

And there was a lull in conversation, lingering silence that demanded words to be spoken. So I was startled as much as everyone else when Loki stepped forward. He raised his chin, bored but still serious.

"The reality stone represents reality," Loki started with a wave of his hand, showing us an illusion of the crimson red Aether. "As it possesses the power to bend the very laws of reality and magic. If Thanos retrieves it, he will be able to contort reality so that the world you will be in, will not be your world. You will be made to fight your friends, confront your worst demons, and you will never be able to escape your own personal hell for it is your reality, impossible to step out of." He flashed his infamous fake-grin. "You will lose, and I will watch."

I stared. Wow. Nice evil monologue. Wait. I blinked, cleared my throat. "Uh, what he's trying to say is that if we don't get the reality stone before he does, we will lose. And he will die with us."

"That's not what-"

"So," I turned to Rogers, thought better and shifted my head towards Natasha. "Have you changed your mind?"

A moment of pause. I pushed down the urge to squirm in my shoes.

Steve tilted his head, exchanged a look with Natasha, and nodded. "Fine."

Yes! Loki was surprisingly helpful for once! "Great," I said, with a grin. "So, who wants to go to Space?"

Steve and Stark's hands raised in the air, and they blinked at each other, seemingly shocked that they had for once agreed to do something.

"I've _always_ wanted to go to Space," Stark commented, looking at Rogers like _what's your excuse?. _Rogers set his jaw, but didn't say anything.

Strange sighed. "I'll go with them."

I made a face. "So four white men with beards? No diversity whatsoever?"

"It's _three_ white men, and there _is_ diversity in..." Tony trailed off. "Maybe Valkyrie will come with us?"

Tony and Valkyrie hadn't exactly hit it off from the beginning, but during dinner he had been equally terrified and fascinated by the warrior. I kinda thought he had a slight girl-crush on her.

"She left to check on the Asgardians," I answered, and shook my head. "Well, there will always be Vision to remind us that a robot got in the team before an Asian person." I glanced at him. "No offense, dude."

"None taken," Vision replied lightly.

I flashed an easy grin at Tony. "And it's four. Not three. Although Loki doesn't have a beard."

Loki raised his hands with his palms outward, in a way that did _not_ seem like he was volunteering. He looked appalled. "I am _not_ going."

"Yes you are," I retorted. "You're the one who knows how to fly a spaceship."

"But-"

"Nuh-uh. You owe me. You never finished that bet, by the way."

"...But I don't want to die."

"Neither do I." I beamed at him. "But I'm still going."

"You're going?" Rogers asked in a strangely high-pitched voice and I nodded, never looking at his face.

"Yup. I'm the only one who knows what's going to happen when we get there, and I will not tell anyone. So I'm going."

"Great," Loki muttered in a low voice that carried to just _everyone_. "Stuck with you and him in the middle of space."

I flushed, which was outrageous because _I_ hadn't even kissed Steve Rogers. Loki had. I mean, if I had kissed him, at least I would have a memory of kissing Captain fucking America, but all I had was a creepy memory of watching Loki Me kiss him. It was _tainted_.

"What?" Wanda asked, looking confused, and I had the mind to actually blurt out _Loki did it. _But Rogers-I am not comfortable with calling him Steve at this point- beat me to it.

"It's nothing."

I rolled my eyes vigorously. If that was the way he wanted to play it, fine. Let's just drown in a sea of awkwardness.

"So the five of us will deal with Thanos, and the rest will deal with the alien army. Cool." I flashed a very fake-smile. "Can we go sleep now?"

* * *

Apparently not. Apparently there were so many details to hammer out before we just hopped on a spaceship. So I, who had no control over anything, just trod back to my room while the quote-unquote _adults talked. _

Loki counted as an adult, _surprisingly_, and I left him there with an ashen look on his face. I was pretty sure_ adults talking,_ was just _adults threatening Loki. _But ha. Serves him right.

I got to my room, found a phone charger, and plugged in my phone for the first time in a month. I was literally shaking with anticipation. I hadn't been able to use my phone since _forever. _I wasn't exactly a phone addict, but I was something close to that and I-

Ooh. The screen lit up.

There were hundreds of missed calls and texts. I scrolled endlessly, and was weirdly heart-warmed by how people had apparently tried to find me. I knew I still had to talk to Stark and Strange in person about everything, but for now I felt warm and fuzzy inside.

There were also a lot of texts from Peter Parker. Aw. That dude was so cute. I read the ones that said _WHERE R U? _and the ones that went _Mr. Stark and Dr. Strange are fighting again:( _and finally, _everyone's in Wakanda...i miss u._

Oh god. I faced two options. I could either just ignore his texts, or I could...portal to New York and sneak him in the spaceship in the morning. I scrunched up my face. Peter was awfully cute, and I knew he could hold his own in a battle, but the thing I worried about was...Stark.

Oh, he would be _so _mad. He had tried to dissuade me from going, talking about how dangerous and life-threatening it was going to be before I left the room, and I could only imagine how he would react when he realized Peter was going too.

Which was why it would be important for me to hide that fact until we were out of orbit.

Wow. I had already made up my mind, halfway through that train of thoughts.

_Meet me in front of Stark_ _Tower at 12, _I texted after a moment of hesitation, checking the clock. It was eleven thirty. Plenty of time yet. I dropped the phone on the bed, and went to take a shower.

* * *

The night was crisp and cool, and I enjoyed the gentle breeze on my face as I spotted Peter Parker, standing on the sidewalk with a backpack casually slung over his shoulder. The Spiderman suit was probably in it. I stepped towards him, brushing my hair away from my face and breathing the chilly air in.

"Hey," I tossed out, and Peter turned around, a nervous grin plastered on his face. I smiled. "I'm ba-"

He hugged me firmly and left me mildly surprised, only to reciprocate a moment later. Koreans didn't hug. They didn't do anything particularly physical, but this...this was nice. No. I was hugging bloody Spiderman. It was _beyond_ nice.

"Hi," Peter stepped back, face delighted. "Where've you _been_? Does Mr. Stark know you're here? What's going-?"

I sighed in mock tiredness, raising a hand to stop him. "It's a _long_ story. Loki dragged me to Sakaar-which is an alien planet- and we got back like a few hours ago. And _Mr. Stark_," I exaggerated, grinning, because I had always teased him for calling Tony _Mr. Stark. _The dude had a horrible case of hero-worship. And as always, Peter blushed at the tease. "Does know. I've been to Wakanda, too."

He frowned. "What is going on in Wakanda? Mr. St-_Tony_ didn't tell me anything. He just said there was something he had to take care of, and then the Stark Tower and the sanctums were all empty."

I winced. Tony really should've told Peter more than that. But, it did make sense. Stark had wanted Peter away from all the danger. I suddenly felt a stab of guilt for what I was about to say to him. But, well, guilt has never steered me away from doing something.

"Peter," I said, putting on a serious look, and grabbed his arm. "The something Tony has to take care of is Thanos."

"What?" His forehead wrinkled, his curly hair sliding into his eyes. I pushed down the urge to flick it away, and set my lips in a line.

"He's an alien, and he wants to take out half the universe, which is why we have to stop him. Tony and some of us are going to space to do that, and the rest will stay in Wakanda to defend Earth from Thanos's army." I breathed in slowly. "...Do you want to help?"

"Is-is it dangerous?"

"Dude. We're going to space to fight an _alien_. Of course it's dangerous."

He cracked a wry grin at that and I smiled back, softly this time. "I'm not pressuring you to do anything, Peter. I'm just giving you an option, because you're an awesome fighter and I would appreciate having your help. So-"

"I'm in," Peter answered immediately, and I blinked, recoiling.

"Don't you need to think about it?"

"I did, but I already know I'm going to regret if I don't do this." He paused, then nodded reassuringly. "I'm definitely in. Let's boldly go where no man has gone before."

He grinned at me in a way that told me he knew I knew that reference, and I rolled my eyes, endeared and at the same time annoyed that he was right. We were such nerds.

"Well," I said, looking at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We still need to sneak you onto the ship, dork. So here's the plan...

* * *

A/N: TOO MANY PEOPLE! I CANNOT WRITE THIS MANY PEOPLE! AGH!

...sorry for the outburst but god it's hard. so...thanks for still sticking by this fic.

Review! :)


	31. Chapter 31 : Back to Space

Peter was in my room, Rogers were giving the team a pep talk, and my head was feeling incredibly heavy.

I had never dealt well with pressure or stress, but that hadn't been the reason why I had stayed up for the night with Peter. It was because the Wi-Fi in Wakanda was amazing. And the TV was 3D and _huge_. Peter had fallen in love at first sight with it.

It had been a fun night. Still, I had gotten zero sleep, which was why I was feeling like someone had repeatedly hit me in the head with a hammer. I was barely listening to what the Cap was saying. Something about duty and differences and blah blah-

Someone nudged me in the arm, and my head shot up.

"Wha?" Woah. I had dozed off in middle of his speech. Wanda raised her eyebrows at me by my side, and I realized everyone was frowning at me, except for some who looked somewhat amused. I rubbed a hand over my face. "Sorry," I whispered to her. Cap was still ignoring me steadily.

"-not taking any chances. We are the last line of defense. The universe hangs in the balance and it is down to us, to save it." He nodded. "Let's do this."

I discreetly slapped myself on the face, feeling stupid. Yeah, I should have slept. But no, I didn't. And there was no changing that. I started staggering back to my room like a drunk zombie with two left feet. I hoped Peter felt better than me. Ugh, who was I kidding, he's _Spiderman_. Of course he would feel better than-

A person tapped my shoulder and I yelped, startled. I whirled around, my hands raised, and-

Oh. Wanda had nudged me again. "Hi," I said, lowering my hands and again, feeling stupid.

She smirked knowingly. "Didn't get any sleep?"

"Um, yeah." I wrinkled my nose. "But it wasn't because I was too excited or something, though."

"If you say so." She patted my arm, then her face turned to a serious tone, her eyes hardening. "Be careful out there, Regis. I know you can hold your own, but in battle there _are_ no second chances."

"I know," I smiled faintly. "I'll be careful. You too, Wanda."

"I'm always careful," She replied cheekily, then lightly punched my arm. "When you get back, you have to tell me all about dark and handsome."

"Uh, Loki?"

"Yup. I know he invaded Earth and killed a bunch of people, but," She scrunched up her face. "He's hot."

I grinned widely. "I'll make sure to tell him that."

"Oh, don't you dare," Wanda warned, but her lips were twitching, and we waved each other byes as I reached my room. Wanda walked away, and I stared at her back, sighing. I wished I could stay here. I wished I didn't have to launch myself head-first into another life-threatening adventure.

I know I had always wanted this kind of life for myself, but I hadn't really thought it through. Yeah, it was thrilling at first, but there was too many down-slides. It was a roller coaster of emotions, and I wasn't exactly the best person to deal with emotions. The memories of Heimdall reared its head in my mind and I pushed it back, refusing to face it.

Okay. Everything was going to be fine. I was going to have fun, and I was going to have it _wildly_.

I raised a fist to knock on the door and-

Someone pushed me deliberately and I yelped, for the second time in like five minutes, spinning around with my back hitting the door. My breath hitched as I faced-

"I _hate_ it when people jump out at me," I gasped, but Natasha Romanoff looked unimpressed, her arms crossed and eyes cold.

"Who are you?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure Tony introduced-"

"Regis Lee does not exist. Neither does Eunseo Lee."

My mind was whirling around, feeling suddenly threatened, although I knew that I had no reason to be. Well, aside from the assassin-turned-superhero staring at me.

When I couldn't reply, Romanoff narrowed her eyes.

"I don't trust people I don't know."

"Neither do I." I blurted out, and wondered why the fuck I said that. She seemed to be wondering the same thing, but her eyes slid down to where my hands were concealed in the jacket pockets. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to straighten up. I wasn't just going to stand here and be terrified by a gorgeous deadly woman. I mean, she had every right to be suspicious, but it wasn't like I was _evil. _

"What did you say to Captain?"

"Um, what?"

"He has avoided anything to do with you blatantly. It seemed as we had all underestimated you, when we first met."

I winced. "I'm pretty sure Cap avoiding me, has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Loki."

She stepped forward suddenly, making me flinch. "Speak clearly," She said in a low voice, and I cringed. Okay. That was it. Interrogation time, over.

I flicked my wrist and Natasha stumbled back a few steps, her arms coming up to a fighting stance immediately. I raised my hands quickly.

"Ask Captain. He won't reply, because what happened was probably the most mortifying event of both our lives. I probably traumatized him." I slowly let down my arms, showing that I had no intent to god forbid, _fight_ the Black Widow. "I don't like people crowding me, so sorry. And I don't care if you don't trust me even though I'm a really _really_ big fan, because..." I paused. "I will never be a threat to you. Please believe that."

"How can I-"

"Take it up to Doctor Strange, or Tony, or Bruce. They'll testify on my behalf." I nodded. "Um, I gotta go. Nice talk."

Then I opened the door with sweaty palms, and escaped into my room with a racing pulse.

* * *

"How's it like, being with all these heroes?"

"Boring," Loki replied immediately. I waited for further response, and tilted my head when I didn't get any.

"Um, isn't it fun to be with all the people who once beated you up?"

He glared at me. "That isn't a word."

"What?"

"_Beated_ is incorrect. It's beat."

"...I cannot stress this enough when I say _whatever._"

Loki looked at me distastefully that hid the amusement in his eyes, and Tony walked up the ramp into the spaceship, giving me a displeased look and Loki a wide berth. He was probably pissed that I had chosen to endanger myself again. I winced at what he would say when he found out Peter was currently hiding in the very small toiletry of the ship.

"The Orb remains on Earth, I presume?" Loki said, and I turned my head to look back at him.

"Yup. Wanda is going to try to destroy all of them, one by one. Well, except the time stone. Doc apparently has to protect it with his life."

"It is foolish of the sorcerer," Loki remarked, tone cold as always when he spoke of people he didn't like. I shrugged, feigning indifference. But I worried too, about the time stone and Strange's possession of it. He had denied and refused any attempt to leave it on Earth. Even when I had threatened him about his future, he had been utterly certain that he must have it on him.

So certain, that I was guessing that he had seen the future with it.

"Whatever," I said again, trying to grin carelessly. "This is going to be awesome. The start of our Space Pirate lives."

"I hardly think that Stark is going to like that."

"Well, no one here's my parents, so I dare to say that they don't have a choice."

Something flickered behind his eyes, a look of consideration and reproach. He hesitated, and when he found his words, he said them with careful deliberation. "You have lied to me."

I blinked, and was about to question him when a voice called behind the two of us.

"Let's go," Strange had probably portaled behind us when we hadn't been looking, being too lazy to climb up the ramp. I gave Wakanda-that was preparing for battle, so had no time for a big ceremony as they sent us off- a last good look before entering the spaceship with Loki by my side, the ramp closing behind us.

Loki strode directly to the pilot's seat, that was in front of the big area all the seats were located, kind of like the living room of the ship. There was a small hallway that lead left where the toilet was, and the stair down where the engine room was located. The way right lead to the bunkers and a small storage room where all our food and supplies were. I had mapped the place with Loki, who had taken one look at the whole ship and declared it beneath his level. But, unfortunately for him, he was still stuck with driving duty.

Tony sat himself on the co-pilot seat, looking with interest at all the buttons and gizmos that gave me a headache thinking about how intricate the whole thing was. Strange was sitting too, with his eyes closed and seemingly in a meditative state again. And of course, Rogers, with his tight suit on and his shield docked away in the storage room, sat next to him.

I really didn't want to sit down behind him and try to converse awkwardly, so I spun on my heels, and walked the short distance to the toilets.

I knocked, after checking no one was after me. "Peter," I hissed. The door opened slightly, and I could see his alarmed eyes fall back to relief when he saw it was me.

"Hey," He answered, opening the bathroom door so I could come in. It was small, with a shower that lead into another room where you could change, and he locked the room and we walked over to that other room.

"I'm slightly worried that Tony's going to have a fit," I confessed truthfully. Peter nodded, biting his lips.

"Me too."

Then our eyes met and we burst out in giggles, although we tamped it down so the adults wouldn't hear. There was something remarkably funny about this situation, that I couldn't help but blurt out-

"Loki kissed the Captain."

His face froze. "What?"

I laughed some more. "He kissed him. _He kissed Steve Rogers._"

He was looking more incredulous as the seconds went by. "How's he still alive?"

I immediately sobered, amusement washing away as quick as it had came to me. The story was funny until exactly that point. Then, it was just plain embarrassing. "Because he kissed him as me," I grumbled low under my breath, and he recoiled, not understanding. I sighed.

"Loki can do magic, and he wore an illusion, that made him look like me. So Cap thinks _I _kissed him. Do you see how that would make this entire trip so awkward? And-oh, don't you laugh," I whispered, and he tried to still his face mostly. Still, I could sense that he was on the verge of teasing me.

"That's-that's," He hesitated. "unfortunate?"

"It's just _embarrassing_." I whined, happy to have someone to complain to. "What do I do?"

"So the Captain thinks you like him?" I nodded. Peter made a face. "Then just tell him that wasn't you."

"But I don't want to talk about that _ever again._" I grimaced, scrunching up my forehead. "Also then Cap would be super angry at Loki and they would probably fight. I don't want that."

"...Huh. I hadn't thought of it from that angle." He opened his mouth to say something when the spaceship shuddered, the engine firing up as we rose off from the ground. Our eyes went wide.

"You should probably get back," He said urgently, and I nodded, wishing I din't have to. I sniffed.

"Hold onto something and don't get caught," I told him. "I'll try to stop anyone from going to the bathroom."

Our plan did entirely depend on no one wanting to use the toilet for half a day. But it was the only room safe enough and secluded enough. He nodded back, and I opened the door, and almost ran into Rogers.

"Sorry," I blurted, and a semi conscious part of my mind moved my body to close the door, slamming it shut behind me. I hoped it wasn't too obvious that I was hiding a teenage boy in the bathroom.

Rogers didn't look much surprised or suspicious, but he was still holding himself stiffly, like he was worried I might suddenly stab him. Or kiss him. I didn't know which was worse.

"You need to get back to the seats," He told me awkwardly. "Tony says it could be dangerous when leaving the orbit."

My mind flashed to Peter, in the bathroom. I hoped he would be okay. Well, he did have super-strength and super senses, so I did think he would be fine.

"Okay," I answered and moved to follow him back to the living room-god the name had stuck- but he didn't move. He paused, a hesitant look in his eyes.

"I think," He pursed his lips. "we need to talk about what happened."

Oh god. Oh wow. This was not happening. Right after I talked to Peter about it? Seriously? I could only hope he wasn't listening to this madness.

I smiled tightly. "No thank you," I replied, and he looked startled, or at least a bit wary.

"Yeah," Then he let out. "It might not be best to discuss this here."

I frowned. Okay, I think he interpreted my words wrong. I meant _no thank you, ever. NEVER EVER. _

I tried to say that in a sentence out loud but Rogers gave a little nod to himself, like he was deciding something. "Later. Okay," Then he turned and left me standing there with a stupid look on my face.

What the fuck had Loki told him?

* * *

It had been a few hours since we'd left Earth, and my body was still tense with tension from Loki and Peter and Rogers and whatever they wanted to do with me. Three conversations that I could never deal with sanely.

I sighed. I knew where to start, though. And I _would_ have to start.

Loki was still looking out into space with a glare, like the universe had done him personal harm, and Tony and Strange were talking science quietly. Rogers was probably in the bunker, resting or doing whatever he did when he rested.

I sighed again unconsciously. I had wanted to go sleep, but how could I, when that dude was there?

But wow. Why was I so embarrassed? That was weird. I usually didn't care about that shit. It _was_ slightly puzzling.

I covered my eyes with a hand, knocking my head back. I was so tired. I yawned, pawing at my mouth and closing my eyes when-

"Why don't you go to the bunker?" Strange was peering at me, eyes curious. I blinked away the sleepiness.

"Rog-The Captain's there," I mumbled, and I noticed with a glance that he hadn't missed the way I almost said his last name. Strange narrowed his eyes.

"Last time I checked, there were more than one bed," He replied, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'll be fine."

Tony and Strange exchanged a look, and for some reason that annoyed me into sitting straight, arms crossed defiantly. "I'll be fine," I repeated, the sleepiness easily turning to irritation.

"What _is_ up with you and Cap?" Stark asked incredulously, and I groaned. Not this again. I turned my head to look at Loki, who was pointedly looking somewhere else. I glared at the back of his head.

"Nothing," I answered, loudly enough that Loki surely heard.

Tony raised his eyebrows, and I knew I had to change the subject before he delved even further. Luckily, I had the perfect topic. Which was not so lucky when you thought about it, but I wasn't thinking much.

"I have something to tell you," I said, and they frowned. I looked at them steadily. "Peter Parker's on board."

"...You're joking," Tony smirked and then his face stiffened as he realized I was not smiling. "_What_?"

"I told him about Thanos. I asked him to come. He did."

Strange opened his mouth, then closed it. "But how could've he-"

"I portaled him here, because I knew you wouldn't like it." I looked at Tony, who's face was stony, on the verge of anger. "So don't blame him." I said simply.

Then Peter edged out from the corridor. Oh, right. His super hearing.

"Hello, Mr. Stark." He mumbled, and Tony shot to his feet, his fists clenched.

"Peter," He growled. "Why are you-"

"I said don't blame him," I said petulantly, standing up too. I was suddenly growing mad, irritation turning to indignation in mere seconds."Peter can make his own choices. And _I_ can make my own choices. Just because you're older doesn't mean you get to make them for us."

"Yes it does," Tony retorted, some emotion strong and heavy flashing in his eyes. "That's the whole _point_ of adults and children. You're not rational enough to-"

"You're the one who's acting irrational right now!" I shot back, wanting to stamp my feet but recognizing how that would go against the entire point I was making. "What are you going to do, throw him off the ship?"

He glared, I glared, and Strange sighed. "You've thought this through, haven't you?"

"Of course I did," I said. "I'm rational." Okay, that was a bit childish.

"Fine," Tony ground out, still mad but having nowhere to vent it on. He turned to Peter, who was looking nervous but determined. "But if you die, I'll kill you."

Then he stomped away to god knows where-well the ship _was_ small- and left the three of us standing awkwardly.

I slumped back on my seat, ignoring Loki, who was looking at us all with fascination like we were some subjects in a science study. "How can he kill you if you're dead," I muttered, too cross and too tired and much too childish to shut up. "_That's_ irrational."

Peter looked at me for a moment, biting his lower lip, then turned and followed Stark to wherever he went.

I rolled my eyes, hurt but not wanting to show it. I instead turned to Strange, who was looking at me with half-annoyance, half-endearment. "Gonna leave me too?"

His look pierced into me, and not for the first time I wondered if he knew who I was, who I _really_ was, just a girl out of her world who couldn't stop snarking even if her life depended on it. Who didn't really think much before she talked. Who cared so much it was better to seem as if she didn't at all.

"You're such a teenager," He murmured, then sat down next to me.

Well. That summed it up quite nicely.

* * *

A/N: May the fourth be with you:)


	32. Chapter 32 : Hope is a dangerous thing

Turns out, I didn't have to go to bed to sleep. I just dozed off, right there, sitting on a very uncomfortable space chair in a very uncomfortable situation.

I knew I shouldn't yelled the _moment_ I re-opened my eyes, waking from that restless sleep. That had been wrong, a stupid, insolent, bloody idiotic mistake. I groaned, face-palming.

Now I had to apologize and all that. I hated awkward conversations, and apologies usually were _very _awkward. Sometimes I ignored friends and teachers that I liked _just_ because I worried the conversation would be awkward. So...this situation was not good.

This space ride was becoming more foreboding every moment. I couldn't even run away.

Whining, whining, whining. I sighed, stood up, and almost shrieked.

Rogers had taken his spot next to me and I hadn't noticed, unfortunately for my racing heart. He frowned at me and I blinked, turned away and refused the urge to curse out loud. Ugh. Life.

I strode forward, slipping into the co-pilot's seat next to Loki. He glanced at me with a knowing smirk. I rolled my eyes, trying my best to ignore that.

"Are we there yet?"

"If we were, we would have stopped." His tone was steady, in a manner that instantly made me feel more stable, better. I let out a breath, squinting at all the stars streaking past us before my eyes had time to focus.

"How much time left?"

"Five hours, at most."

"Oh, thank god." I slumped, rubbing my bleary eyes, hoping this meant after five hours and one battle, my responsibility for the universe was over. Wow. After five hours, everything _would _be over.

Suddenly my heart sped up again. But what if after five hours, we lost? Would Thanos kill me? And what would happen if we won? Would I go back to my world? Was I stuck here?

I breathed in aggressively. "Oh no."

Loki gave me a weird look. "You have a strange way with words."

"I'm worried that we'd lose," I said, running a hand through my hair, which I could sense was a gangly mess. "What do we do then?"

"We run away." He answered simply, his eyes fixed on a point ahead.

Running away sounded good to some small part of me, but it felt wrong to a bigger, intrinsic part of me. I was not a runner. I hated confrontations, but I knew when I should have them, and I usually met every challenge head-on even if they were stupid and petty.

But Loki was realistic. If we lost, and if I still tried to fight, it wouldn't be a very healthy decision for my continued existence. Well, simply put, my existence would be _un_-continued.

And I still didn't know what would happen if I died here, alone, in a world that wasn't even mine.

I looked at Loki. "What were you talking about?"

He barely tilted his head, but I knew he knew what I was saying. "You told me that I lied to you," I continued nonetheless. "What did you mean?"

"It seems silly now," Loki murmured after a moment. "When we are about to have the fight of our lives, barely a few hours later."

"Well, I _like_ silly." I smiled faintly. "I promise I won't laugh."

He considered that, and I could see his thoughts spiraling in that mad quick brain of his, since I had been in there before. Loki seemed much more readable now, after I had glimpsed his thoughts and emotions. Still hard to get, but a bit more manageable.

"...Your age," Loki said, his lips barely moving, and I frowned. "You fooled me."

Um, did he really think I was two hundred something? Wow. Asgardians _are_ somewhat idiots. I realized I was grinning, and then remembered that promise I made like ten seconds ago, and tried to school my look. Judging by his scowl, he had noticed.

"You're not really 226, are you?" He muttered darkly. Then he narrowed his eyes at me. "But you're not really sixteen."

Sixteen? What? My mind drew a blank, before a memory sparked.

Oh. Natasha. _Since when do we operate on strategies from sixteen year olds? _

I winced. "Yeah."

He kept scowling at me, and I knew that he wanted a number, but I also thought people should stop fixating on age. It was really ageist of everyone.

I opened my mouth to say that, but then realized I could probably correctly map out the following conversation where he needled the answer out of me. I sighed in defeat.

"I'm fifteen. And you _are_ very silly. The fight of our lives are barely a few hours away, do we have time for this?"

"You're fifteen," He repeated, something that didn't go well with his face flashing in his eyes. Well, I knew he was like a thousand years old, so fifteen must seem like an infant to him, but still it wasn't pleasant to watch him see me as a different person. "That explains..."

"Explains what?"

"_Everything_."

I scowled. "What?"

"Stark. The Captain," His lips curled slightly saying their names. "_You_."

"In a good way or a bad way?" I asked, because he was not explaining a lot. I wished I was inside his confusing head again, so I could see his memories that were surely playing again in his mind, from _his_ perspective.

"...In a way," He let out finally, and I made a face, but he turned his head again to the front, eyes stormy. I instinctively knew I was getting nothing more out of him, because that face meant he was _feeling _things, and Loki dealt with feelings the same way I dealt with broccolis. He thought they were disgusting, useless, and refused to eat them.

Well, refused to _feel _them, in this case.

I pursed my lips. "Brood, then." I stood, arms crossed. "I'll leave you to your clever little thoughts."

Then I stalked away, ignoring Rogers who probably overheard everything, and feeling slightly sorry for myself. It seemed like I was as bad as Loki when it came to people. On a spaceship with five other people, I had no one to talk to.

* * *

It was half an hour before we were estimated to land on Knowhere, and we grouped back at the living room due to the Captain's orders. The journey was about to end, and we desperately needed a plan.

Which I was supposed to give them.

"The Collector has the reality stone," I said, focusing on picturing the man inside my mind, and successfully drawing up the illusion. Rogers and Stark flinched, and Strange and Peter looked impressed. I flashed a wry grin at Peter. Loki, as always, looked unimpressed.

"And if Thanos isn't there yet, we get the stone and we prepare to fight. And if he _is _there, we fight. And if he's gone, we chase him and fight." I nodded to myself. "It all ends with fighting, so I think it's a wonderful plan in its simplicity."

They didn't seem to think so. Stark frowned heavily, giving me a strange, amused look. "So what's the plan?"

I immediately felt a million times more relieved. That look meant he wasn't mad. I hid the relief in my face, scowling instead. "...Uh, I just told you."

"That's not a plan," Loki retorted. "That's just a course of action we all knew to begin with."

"_There's beauty in simplicity._ Didn't somebody say that once?"

"It's an anonymous quote," Strange told me, and I pointed at him.

"Yes. Anonymous. Thank you."

"...I wasn't agreeing to your..._plan_," Strange said the word like it might come back and bite him. "I'm just telling you that-"

"Why would you know that anyway?" I frowned at him. "That's very nerdy."

"He's a doctor. Doctor's are nerdy," Stark said dismissively, and Strange glowered at him.

Rogers cleared his throat before Strange could reply with some scathing comment about Stark Industries. "Can we focus?"

I rolled my eyes and missed everyone else's response, but we all quietened.

"So we don't know for sure Thanos's whereabouts," Rogers said, his eyes meeting mine then sliding away just as quickly. I recognized it as a question.

"Yup."

"Then we need to prepare for all three scenarios," He nodded, and opened his mouth to doubtlessly talk about those three scenarios and the amazing plan he had, but I raised a hand, like I was at school and I had something to say. Then I realized I wasn't at school and this was slightly embarrassing, so I whipped it back down again.

"Guardians of the Galaxy," I said, with a flush. "They're going to be there too. We need to work together. Which means that any plan we make up right now is going to be slightly useless."

Rogers blinked. "You've mentioned them before," He said slowly. "Who are they?"

Right. Now I had to explain two entire movies and seven characters in like twenty minutes. Great. I sighed, and opened my mouth for a monologue that would have surely been funnier if they weren't all real people. (And a real raccoon and a real tree, of course.)

* * *

Landing was smooth, as Loki was an excellent pilot, one that was pretty impressive since I hadn't the foggiest idea how to drive spaceships. I didn't even know how to drive cars. I would probably be horrible at it anyway.

(Stop thinking about random, minor things. _Focus_.)

Loki knew the Collector, and parked-I was probably thinking of car terms, but couldn't for the death of me figure out what you did with spaceships- right on his building. Knowhere was unfamiliar to me, because I didn't really remember the movies, but the spooky creepy feeling was undeniably clear in the air. I shivered, thinking about the explanation Loki had somberly given us.

_Knowhere is the severed head of an ancient Celestial being. There are no regulations whatsoever in this place, so be prepared for anything to happen._

The ramp opened up with a nod from Rogers, and we slowly moved down and about, Peter and I following the adults in the back. I sneaked a glance at Peter, who looked nervous, his eyes flitting from shadow to shadow. Which said a lot, because there were _loads _of shadows in this place. I wondered why people would ever live here. Was the rent cheap? Did space have rents?

(_Focus_, stupid.)

Peter stopped and I realized everyone was looking at another ship, already parked in place somewhere closer to the edge of the building. The Guardians of the Galaxy. They were here.

Which meant Thanos was, too.

Strange turned around, his eyes grim but sharp. "The reality stone can warp our very realities, like the name suggests. Be wary. The world is not as it seems."

I knew he could sense it already. Something was off, a metallic tang in the air and magic tingling at my fingertips unpleasantly. The reality stone had been used recently. Thanos was prepared.

I shuddered, and Loki touched me gently on the arm, pulling me ahead with the rest. I tried to snap out of it, but my magic was sensitive. It knew something, no _everything _was wrong, and it was screaming with the weight of it.

I clenched a fist as we climbed down the stairs to the Collector's fort, digging my nails into my palm, willing my mind to stay in the moment. Loki was looking at me warily, and I knew that he knew too. That gave me a sense of relief that was short-lived, ruined by Stark running directly into Drax.

Someone yelped and Strange swept out his hands and enclosed the space in a bubble, so no one could see and hear what was going on. It was a smart move, because Drax immediately started yelling, charging at Stark who's nano tech crept over his clothes and covered his body in mere moments. He raised a hand armed with the repulsor but Strange flicked his hand and Drax froze in mid-sprint, face so comical that I would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

Gamora-who by the way looked gorgeous in green- raised her dagger in alarm as Peter Quill spun around, blasters raised. Peter-the younger one- raised his arms in reflex, impossibly quickly.

"Don't shoot," He cried out, and everyone was frozen for a moment.

"...Who _are_ you? What have you done to Drax?" Quill whispered furiously, unaware of the magic Strange had cast. Rogers stepped forward, probably the one with the most trusting face in the group. I mean, that dude's face _screamed_ good. I couldn't imagine him doing anything slightly incriminating, like littering, or spitting on sidewalks. Although spitting on sidewalks wasn't a crime. Still, I disliked everyone that did it.

(What are you _blabbering_? Get your mind_ straight._)

"We're here to fight Thanos," Rogers said softly, hands also raised in the air. "You are the Guardians of the Galaxy, right?"

"How do you know us? Why are you-"

"Thor." I said, striding next to Peter, throwing the teen a reassuring look I had had no idea I could pull off. "He told you about the Avengers, didn't he?"

"You know Thor?" Quill asked, pupils blown wide in alarm. Gamora lowered her dagger slowly.

"He did," She said, face still distrusting, and I nodded.

"They're the Avengers," I made a vague gesture at Rogers, face as determined as I could make it. "And we're here to stop Thanos. So, we need to work together."

On that note, Strange twisted his hand and Drax fell face-first on to the ground with a manly shriek. He stumbled up with help from Mantis, and gaped at Strange. "Witch!"

Stark tilted his head with a frown. "Pretty sure you meant to say _wizard_."

"Thanos's allies!" Drax yelled. "I will-"

"Whoa, chill dude." Peter-ugh two guys with same names- Quill said, holstering his weapons. "They say they're also here to fight Thanos."

"That is what Thanos's allies would say." He growled, and Loki rolled his eyes.

"That is what people who're here to _fight_ Thanos would say," He muttered, and Drax looked very confused for a moment, before snarling out "You do not fool me!"

Stark glanced at me. "I am strangely not reassured by their presence," He said, and Gamora scowled.

"What are _you_ supposed to be, cyborg?"

"Wrong franchise," I muttered under my breath, and made a time-out sign with my arms. "We really need to focus, dudettes. Let's _move_."

Gamora paused, then slipped her dagger back in its sheath, leading the way down and beyond the various metal crates littered on the ground. Drax narrowed his eyes but complied to her glare. The Avengers, including Loki and me, followed the Guardians, sneaking silently.

"-I know you have the Reality Stone, Tivan. Giving it to me will spare you a great deal of suffering." Thanos's voice drifted out of the room ahead of us, and Quill halted, raising a fist to signal us to stop.

Everyone just passed him, not even pausing, and I patted his arm in a comforting manner, then walked by him too.

"I told you, I sold it." The Collector gasped, Thanos's boot on his chest. "Why would I lie?"

"I imagine it's like breathing for you," The Titan remarked, and Gamora stopped, her face gaunt, looking back at all of us.

"What's the plan?" She murmured quietly, addressing Rogers. Ha. Told ya. He had such a honest face that space assassins he met for the first time trusted him.

"We have to attack before he finds the stone," Cap replied, gesturing at Thanos. "You guys take first round. We'll follow."

Gamora nodded curtly, but Strange shook his head quickly, his hand unconsciously rising to the time stone around his throat. "He already has the stone," Strange said, voice dark. "This is a trap."

"Can you destroy the illusion?" I asked quickly, glancing at Loki who was also looking reproachful, keeping quiet.

Strange pursed his lips, body still. "This isn't an illusion. It's real, in some part, and I don't have the power to strip away the entire reality."

"What do we do, then?" Peter said, his hands slightly trembling. I wanted to feel less hopeless, but it was hard, when we had no plan, _nothing_.

(Not nothing. You know the future. _Focus_.)

"Gamora, you attack him. He'll die, if you kill him." I muttered, rubbing my hands together, the air seemingly growing colder with every second. "And then the real Thanos will reveal himself. Then, we fight him to the death."

"But-"

"If we attack, all of us together at once, we can overpower him." I said, sounding like I was trying, _badly_, to convince myself.

Everything about this place, _Knowhere_, drained me. The magic crawling like bugs over my skin, the freezing temperature, and the dark shadows sapping the light out of the scenery. I felt barely alive, the trepidation of what was coming hanging over my head like a noose. Silence thrashed at the words spoken, dragging it away as soon as it could, leaving me empty and wide open. I felt like someone was watching me, shudders running down my spine, and-

A rumbling laughter, echoing all around us and my breath hitched as everyone's head snapped up.

"Overpower me?" Our surroundings were changing, the from my right to left, crates on fire and the air filled with toxic fumes. We were in an aftermath of a battle, destruction all around us, and I staggered as we were shown what had been hidden from us before.

Thanos emerged out of the gloom, his illusion-self disappearing with a flick oh his gauntlet. The reality stone's red glimmer shined brightly, blending well into the background of fire, and he laughed again, a harsh sound that felt wrong to my ears. "When I have you all in my grasp?"

Drax yelled, enraged, and charged forward with his sword. "For Ovette! For-"

I never did hear his daughter's name, the reality stone pulsing and Drax..._disassembling_. He came apart, turned into a pile of cubes and Mantis shrilled, pain and shock resounding through me with her scream. But her emphatic ability didn't seem to phase Thanos, who just stood there, tall and strong, and very much purple.

Thanos's eyes slid over the group, and landed on Gamora.

"Daughter. There's something we need to discuss, little one."

"I have nothing else to say to you," She hissed, drawing her daggers with a sound of metal against metal. "then _die_."

And everything went to hell.

* * *

A/N : Things are going to take a darker turn, beloved readers.

하하하하 정말 어렵다 사람이 왜이리 많아 진짜 어이가 없어서 영화는 딱 주인공 두명만 있으면 되는 데 하아. 어쨌든 매우 심각해질거야. 트리거 워닝 그런 건 없지만 잘 안 맞다, 그럼 나에게 뭐라 해주세요. 요즘 스네이프를 파는 데 어둡고 다크한 그런 분위기가 너무 좋아져섴ㅋㅋ 이 캐릭터, 레지스, 는 더 이상 너나 나가 아닌 것 같아, 그냥 스스로의 생명을 얻어서 내 머릿속에서 걸어 나갔어 그러니까 너무 상심하지마삼. 죽이겠다는 건 아니고. 어. 죽일까?

결말은 진짜 모르겠어 아직도. 도움을 주실 분!


	33. Chapter 33 : for a woman like me to have

Gamora ran forward, closely followed by Quill who blasted his space gun fruitlessly, all the shots turning to bubbles with a smirk from Thanos. Strange trained his hands over the shambled remains of Drax, his face scowling in concentration, and slowly but surely the cubes mended together until Drax was lying on the ground, shaking his head in dissonance.

"What-what-"

"Let's go!" I yelled and rushed forward, Stark flying overhead and Strange levitating, his hands in front of him and making some complex move with his fingers. I knew he was staying behind, trying to protect his stone, and some part of me was relieved that he knew to keep it safe. Loki was by my side, Peter on my left, and just for that moment, I felt invincible.

Then, of course, shit went down.

Gamora swung her dagger at Thanos who didn't even bother to dodge, the knife turning to some sort of sponge mid-slash. It bounced off of Thanos's chest, and Gamora growled, dropped the useless weapon, and was flung back by Thanos's punch.

Quill roared and magical ropes wound around Thanos's legs, definitely by Strange, but the Titan just looked amused, waving a hand and simultaneously turning Quill and the ropes into two dimensional..._paper_. Quill fell over, looking like a twisted cartoon figure, and my heart dropped as he caught on fire from the transparent box next to him.

I heard Strange cursing, knew he was onto Quill, and nodded quickly at Peter and threw out my hands. Portals opened, one right ahead of Peter and one behind Thanos, and Peter dived through, coming out with his arms wrapped around Thanos's neck, shooting webs to cover the Infinity Gauntlet.

Stark fired his repulsors at the same moment, the fire power causing Thanos to raise his arms in front of his face, and Rogers was there in a blink, his fists driving into Thanos's stomach.

The Titan stumbled back a step, disoriented by Peter, who was trying his best to cut off his oxygen, and Loki stalked forward, his dagger again in hand, one poised to stab Thanos's chest and-

Thanos swept out his hands and red light flashed, tossing Peter and Rogers away from him, and he grabbed Loki to shield himself from Tony's repulsor. When Stark stopped, a moment too late, he threw Loki like a rag doll, directed at Tony and they both went down, a tangle of arms and legs.

I cursed wildly in Korean, blood rushing to my head and pushing back the fear that had dominated my mind before. I threw open another portal, one that landed me directly in front of Thanos, and snapped my wrist, creating the fiery whip I had used for my weapon again and again. I raised it and stroke, but the Titan moved impossibly fast, grabbing my forearm and squeezing, making me cry out in pain.

"I have things to discuss with you too, amusing child." He hummed, and I fought through the haze of pain and lashed my foot out, catching him in the thigh. He grunted, released my arm, and I kicked him again, catching in the corner of my eyes Gamora approaching Thanos from behind. I had to stall to give her tim-

He knocked me aside with a casual hand, the contact punching all the air of my lungs. I just had time to think _huh that hurt _before I hit one of the showcase boxes with enough strength to shatter the glass behind me.

Jarred pieces of glass rained down on me and I barely held up the air to stop it, the magic acting instinctively. My vision dimmed, and I couldn't breathe, my ribs feeling jagged, aching like hell. Broken, probably.

Darkness threatened to take over my mind and I reached out with a hand blindly, and felt glass cutting into my palm. I bit back a scream, as the flash of pain ironically cleared my sight.

(The pain means you're alive. _Use it._)

I clenched a fist, the shard digging into my skin, and _watched_ as the blood pooled below for a second, a minute, a moment I couldn't gauge how long. I could see and feel nothing but that shard of glass, my mind feeling disconnected from the chaos surrounding me. But then someone's body-Roger's- tumbled across my vision and I finally dragged my gaze upwards with some difficulty.

Thanos held Gamora by the back of her neck, hauling her forward into Quill, who was holding up the blaster with trembling hands. "-she's asked, hasn't she? Do it. _Do it_!"

Peter was on the ground next to them, unconscious or worse. Mantis was by Drax's side, and I noticed with a detached air that he had a metal pipe through his stomach, leaking blood. Mantis was crying.

Stark's repulsors had turned to nothing but wool gloves, and he was clutching one hand to his chest; probably broken, judging by the agony in his eyes. Feelings were coming back to me, slowly, from my toes to my legs and up, tingling, tingling, and Strange was trying to reassemble the broken pieces of Loki's body, and I could see that it wasn't going well, and _there._

Rage. I focused on it, grew it, let it seep into my mind until nothing was left, and I got to my feet, everything else tuned out. I barely noticed Rogers putting a hand out in front of me, pushing me back.

"No," He got out, his eyes wrinkled with pain. "Stay-"

I flicked my hand, and magic moved as my second nature, shoving him back behind me. Anger clamped shut my mouth, and I felt like I would just _shatter_, if I didn't do anything.

So I did something. I strode forward, ignoring the discomfort-_highly_ underrated- in my ribs.

(Good. Go ahead. Kill him. _Do it._)

"I love you, more than anything," Gamora murmured, tears in her eyes. The whip came to life in my hands, and I prepared for my last strike, possibly my last chance at life. I poured my magic into it, from the bottom of my soul, until the air sizzled and my hand grew hot, _painfully_ hot.

"I love you too," Quill's eyes were so sad, filled with an emotion I don't fully understand, and his fingers tightened on the trigger and I _focused_, knowing fully well that I only had one shot at this and-

_I'm sorry, _Strange's voice drummed in my mind and I faltered, and Thanos whirled around and the shot went off and Gamora collasped in her father's arms, her father, who went completely still, face frozen in time. Then-

Thanos _screamed_ with guttural fury, the sound piercing into my ears even as Strange's words echoed around me; _I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm _sorry_-_

_What are you sorry for, _I had time to think before Thanos's hand enfolded my throat and lifted me off the ground, the whip leaving my hand but never hitting the ground. I was in a daze as I choked, as if I was watching from the third-person perspective, my mind strangely calm.

(Well, you blew it. It's over then, isn't it? At least you go down fighting.)

Thanos staggered, his eyes fixed on mine filled with _so much_ emotions for a genocidal maniac, and I was aware he is about to teleport, my senses tingling with that insufferable _magic, _and Rogers knocked into him, his fist connecting and then suddenly we were somewhere _else_.

The last thing I saw before darkness overtook my vision was Rogers, as the look of desperation disappeared and something else set in.

The last thought I remember, is that I _know_ those eyes.

(It's the eyes devoid of hope.)


	34. Chapter 34 : - but I have it

My neck hurt. My chest hurt. No, wait, my whole _body_ hurt.

I tried to find a part of me that felt okay. Head, no. Ribs, definitely no. Hands, hmm, no.

Oh. My eyes were fine. I blinked, scrambling to sit up, and almost rammed my head into someone's-

"Agh!" I shrieked, stumbling back, my palm scraping along the rough ground and bringing tears to my eyes. Shit. Blood leaked sluggishly from the cut on my hand and I clutched it to my chest as I stared at the guy standing in front of me.

"Sorry," A familiar voice said, hesitantly. I narrowed my eyes. The room, no the _cell,_ was dark but I could still make out the faint outline of Steve Rogers. My heart hammered in my throat.

"What-what happened?" Of course, I _knew_ what happened. We were on Thanos's evil spaceship, kidnapped, and he was probably going to murder us before the day ended. Fuck.

I groaned. "Actually, don't answer that," I said quickly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He answered, sitting down slowly. "Are _you_?"

"Yup." I answered, not even thinking about it as I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on my magic, and felt nothing. _Nothing_. There was something cutting me off from the power, something tangible but invisible. It was, overall, an icky feeling of something not being right. I hated it.

The cell was a stereotypical cell, bars of metal blocking one side of the room, and the other sides surrounded by stone walls. There was a dish of food on the ground, and I decided to frown at it instead of having a meltdown about everything else.

"Soup?"

"Uh, you can have it." Rogers said awkwardly.

"I'm not really hungry," I replied, and sighed. They had to give one soup and one piece of bread, for two people. Was this some new method of torture? To kill people with overwhelming awkwardness?

We had to get out of here. But, judging by how Rogers wasn't attempting some wild getaway, he had tried and failed.

I stood up, and walked over to the bars. There were other cells around us but were empty, probably because Thanos usually doesn't keep prisoners. I wondered what will happen to us. What did Thanos want from me?

There were two guards at the end of the hallway, standing rigidly. Two scary looking aliens. I contemplated shouting some swearwords at their faces but thought better, since it probably wasn't going to work.

I plopped back down on the ground. My ribs throbbed and I winced, regretting the decision to _plop._

"I've never been kidnapped before," I said out loud, because it was very true. The fact that I was in a comic book movie was hitting my brain harder than ever.

"I have," Rogers answered quietly. I raised my eyebrows.

"What's it like?"

"Not good," He pursed his lips, paused, and then gave me a reproachful look-aka Steve Roger's disappointed face. It was slightly intimidating. "You shouldn't have done that."

Memories flashed behind my eyes, and I groaned again, face-palming and jumping when blood got on my face. I tried to wipe it off but only managed to smudge it, and I moaned, super annoyed and super angry and super-

"Is that _blood_?" Rogers asked, his eyes quirked in that frustrated manner and I scrunched up my forehead.

"Just my hand." I muttered, rolling up my shirt and dabbing it at my cheek. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I didn't know why I was so angry. Oh. Wait. Right, I was kidnapped and any moment now, we were going to _die_.

I was usually a very logical girl, but at that moment I wanted to punch the wall. Fucking hell. Kidnapped. _Kidnapped_. What the fuck was going to happen to me?

The aftermath of an adrenaline rush left a sour taste in my mouth and a dizzy head, but I was pretty sure Thanos wasn't going to offer me some toothbrushes. Or some Tylenol. Did Tylenol exist in space? Wait, did _toothbrushes_?

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to come up with something. Something that would miraculously land me back on Earth. Or at least, off this stupid stupid spaceship.

"You're going to be okay," Rogers said in a steadfast tone that would have relaxed any other fifteen year olds, but I was unfortunately _not_ most of them. I was paranoid, in a way that wasn't any good, and my mind was already spiraling.

Since Gamora was, uh, _gone-_fuckety fuck_-, _Thanos was going to look for the soul stone. He didn't know that we knew where it was, but I assumed he could guess, so that was going to be what he wanted, wasn't it? Could I afford telling him? I mean, since Gamora was dead, could Thanos even get to it in the first place?

He had to make a sacrifice, I remembered. Well, he _could_ always throw his chair down the cliff.

I laughed hysterically, thinking about that parody video on youtube, and Rogers gave me a strange look, and I laughed harder, because it was Captain fucking America that was looking at me strangely. _Captain fucking_ _America_ I was captured with.

I should really make the most of this.

I abruptly stopped laughing. "Sorry. I'm not laughing at you," I added, snaking my arms around my legs. It was slightly chilly in here. I hoped the apology might clear the awkward air or whatever and it seemed to have worked, because Rogers shrugged, pushing a hand through his dark hair.

"It's, okay. This must be a...foreign situation for you," He remarked, and I snorted in not a mean way, because that was a understatement. It wasn't foreign. It was bloody _alien_. Wait, does that mean the same thing?

Loki was probably right. I slightly _did_ need help with vocabulary.

"Kinda," I replied, then frowned. "Weren't your hair blonde?"

"Um, yeah. I dyed it on the run," Ah. On the run. Right. That thought lead me to another thought, which then ended up as a question that I was hesitant to ask. Then I thought _what the fuck we were already going to die, so..._

"How did you make up with Tony?" I asked hurriedly and he blinked, seemingly a bit taken back.

He hesitated. "Tony found me, a few weeks ago. He explained the threat on Earth, about Thanos. And, of course you_._ I knew he wouldn't have come to me if it wasn't serious. He promised he wouldn't turn us in, and we agreed on a temporary truce." He smiled wryly. "I did not know I was going to end up in a cell anyway."

"Me neither." I shuddered, my heartbeat refusing to slow down. "I think I'm freaking out," I said in a calm voice. Well, calm as I could make it. I didn't want to seem like a weirdo in front of him, although I highly suspected that that ship had sailed a long time ago. "So let's talk about something else."

"Uh, what do you have in mind?"

"I don't know. Movies? Well, actually, no," I had no idea which movies didn't exist here. Too many actors in one cinematic universe, ugh. "Music, then. Do you know Taylor Swift?"

Rogers looked startled, with his eyebrows furrowed but he replied, "I've heard about her, but not much..?"

"Oh right. You're hundred years old." I laughed nervously. "Sorry." What was I bloody _saying_? Why was it so hard to find a neutral topic to talk about with Rogers?

"Uh well, let's talk about I don't know, Wakanda. T'Challa. He's hot. And very cool. Have you seen him in a suit? He's has so much _dignity_." Dignity I was very quickly losing, judging by his strange look. I got up, started pacing, refusing to have a un-cinematic breakdown. _Nobody_ had meltdowns in movies. I mean, they did, but they did it with _style_. I did not have style. I did not have the physical nor the emotional capability to pull off a cool meltdown, and I pushed down the urge to tear my hair out of my scalp.

"We should've never came to space. You were right. This was too risky," I rambled, ignoring Rogers the best as I could. "Thanos is too powerful. Now he has the reality stone and Gamora is dead and he has _us_, so he'll probably get the soul stone as well. Oh my god, why am I freaking out about this? It's just stones. Stones. Stones that could kill us, but they're still stones, right? Rocks. This does not rock. Fuck. Wait, that fucking rhymes."

"Regis-"

"Uh, let's not do the name-calling." I frowned. "Yeah, that sounded weird."

"Regis. _Eunseo_." Rogers said in a firm voice, standing also and I flinched, because my Korean name sounded infinitely weird coming from the symbol of America. "Breathe."

"I'm always breathing." I retorted, turning to face him.

"Well, do it slower."

I rolled my eyes but did as he said, expelling a shaky breath from my lungs, and noted that yeah, it did help.

He stepped forward, looking at me tentatively but with a certain confidence in his posture that made me feel stable. "I don't know what will happen either, Regis. But I'm going to try my best to get you out of here unharmed, so don't panic, okay? We don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to."

"I-I want to talk. But," I struggled for a way to put my words into a nicer sentence, and failed. "We're both going to die."

"Maybe. But I have faith in Tony and the rest of the crew. They'll come for us, sooner or later."

"Yeah, and then they'll all die."

He tilted his head, wrinkling his eyebrows. "I did not know you were this pessimistic."

"I've been kidnapped by a purple alien. I'm _allowed_ to be pessimistic." I ran a hand over my hair and tugged at the knots, yanking unceremoniously. "Fucking _hell,_" I cursed, ignoring his raised eyebrows, and wished I could be dead already.

Then he grasped my hand, making me think _ooh is this the afterlife_ and then lowered it from my hair, giving me a disproving look.

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" I snatched my hand back, threw both up in the air with a groan. "Can we get any awkward-er? Stop doing that _thing_!"

"Stop doing what?" He looked genuinely alarmed, and I made that exasperated face that only teenagers faced with stupid adults could pull off.

"That-" I waved a hand vaguely over his physique, my mind tumbling over words I should use and the ones I should not. Unfortunately for me, my mind preferred the latter pile of words. "That 1940s gentleman, virginal dude thingy!"

I regretted it the moment the words came out of my mouth and it seemed like he did too, his face going red. I could see him trying to maintain a serious, work appropriate facade and could _also_ tell the exact moment it went out the window.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" He asked, incredulous, and I rolled my eyes.

"Forget it."

"You shouldn't talk to me-, uh, adults like that," Rogers tried to say stonily, but the whole sentence came out as a question, making it sound silly instead. His face was flushed, and I, for a moment, felt slightly bad because it was bloody obvious that this dude has zero experience with hysterical teenagers. But my temper got the best of me, making me feel like I was going to explode, and I scowled, arms crossed.

"Well, I shouldn't kiss adults too, but I did, didn't I?" I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to go be gloomy in a corner, so leave me alone." I stalked over to the furthest corner and sat, feeling slightly disappointed that there weren't any door to slam. Still, the look on his face was very much worth it.

* * *

Aliens came, the _moment_ I fell asleep. Of course they did. The universe hated me.

"Regis," came Roger's urgent voice and I snapped my head up, my pulse racing suddenly, as the cell door clanged open and two aliens walked in. The first thought I was able to form was _wow they're ugly. _I mean, of course they wouldn't fit the human standard of beauty, but the creators of that species had been unnecessarily cruel. Their face looked like a rotten lump of mashed tomatoes.

One came for me and I stepped back in alarm, but there weren't anywhere to go and he was holding a stick that looked like it could either skewer me or cut my head off. My back hit the wall and I heard Rogers grunt, knock back the second alien with a fist and reach for the stick but then-

Alien 1 grabbed my arm and whirled me around, the spearhead digging into my throat and drawing out blood. I didn't even cry out, because I was pretty sure even swallowing would cause pain. My heartbeat thudded in my eardrums.

"Drop the spear, or the child dies." The alien's voice was strangely high, I noted absentmindedly. My concentration was more fixed on the sharp thing very close to my artery.

Rogers's gaze darted to me and then to the alien and in that split second I wondered what was the moral thing to do in my position. I wanted to yell _drop it_ but then...could I say it? No. I wouldn't. If only one of us had to live, it would be much more helpful for this universe if Cap lived. I opened my mouth against my mind screaming _what the fuck _and-

The staff clanked against the ground and Rogers held up his hands, looking deeply resigned. Alien 2 shoved him roughly, spun him around and shackled him, as Alien 1 did the same to me. The metal handcuff dug into my wrists and some distant part of my mind marveled at the fact that I was actually _handcuffed. _Me, who was such a not-troublemaker, that the most troublesome thing I had done back in Korea was not do my homework and lie about it.

But then, a minute ago, I had been ready to die for a fictional character. Fuck me.

We were marched out of the cell, and I tried to make sense of our surroundings but kept being distracted by the blood dripping down my neck. My neck, combined with how Thanos had choked me, was an annoying mess. Why did people keep going for my throat? I hadn't done anything to _their_ neck!

"Are you okay?" Rogers asked quietly, and I bit the inside of my cheek. Ugh. Why was that guy so _nice_? I was so used to Loki's casual disregard that the change was actually really significant. I had been accustomed to dealing with stuff alone. Rogers made me feel sad about that.

"Yeah," I muttered under my breath. "Sorry."

"Why are _you _sorry?" He said immediately, re-enforcing the self-pity I was feeling. I tried to roll my eyes but lost the cynical energy halfway through and ended up staring up at the ceiling. "_I_ shouldn't have tried-"

"Quiet," Alien 2 poked his back with the staff, making him stumble, and we fell silent, me wishing I was more physically capable. I wished I was bad-ass like Black Widow. Then we would have already escaped. I wouldn't have been a burden.

Ugh. So fucking _depressed_.

We passed through another huge gateway and entered an enormous chamber that I recognized from the movie. Thanos's throne Gamora hated-_had_ hated, I reminded myself- was at the center, surrounded by dark water. I faltered, seeing the figure sitting on the steps leading up to the chair, and the aliens shoved us to walk the path towards the middle, retreating into the gloom.

Rogers and I exchanged a heavy glance, and we walked forward, me half holding my breath. Thanos was looking down at a dagger, and I knew it had been Gamora's, which made me feel sad and stupid and drained.

"My daughter is dead," He murmured, his gaze fixed on the knife in his hands. I couldn't come up with something clever to say back.

"I had wanted her, on this _throne_ someday. Someday after all the fighting and the violence, when peace will reign; I had wanted her to rule." Thanos looked up, eyes dark. "And now she's _gone_."

I found the words somewhere in my chest, and breathed out. "She hated that throne."

His eyes turned sharp, baring into me with frightening deepness. "You knew her?"

"Kinda." I replied simply, raising both my shackled hands to scratch at the back of neck. When I offered no further explanation, he stood, towering over the both of us. I refused the irrational part of me that wanted to cower in fear.

"I had a purpose," He said, balancing the knife on a finger, as he did in front of young Gamora all these years ago. "Salvation, for the universe. But now..." He grabbed it and his knuckles tightened, and I winced as it snapped in half. What a dramatic dude. I wished I could introduce him to Joker, from the DCEU. What a meeting that would be.

"No more," The Titan muttered, and he straightened, flicking the pieces away carelessly. I didn't dare break eye contact with the guy, scared that he might make some sudden move to snap my body in half, like he did to the dagger. Rogers gritted his teeth.

"What do you want from us?"

"I want nothing from you, human. But from her," He wore a cold smile I could see held none of his emotions. "The truth."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember our conversation on the Asgardian ship, before you tricked me?" I narrowed my eyes, and the memories came roaring back to me.

_Ah. Didn't I tell you? I know the future._

_You are never going to win, Thanos. No matter what your motives or plan is. You are never, ever going to win. This universe doesn't work like that. The world's heroes will fight against you to the very end and will win every time, and you don't stand a chance. And this is just not misplaced optimism, but it's the truth, because this universe, this world is-_

I swallowed. "I do." I ignored Rogers's questioning look, trying to keep my mind from spiraling.

"You were so convinced I wouldn't succeed in my goal," Thanos hummed. "You mocked me. You laughed at my plan for the world's redemption. I have had time to think about what you said, and I found myself wondering, how? How could you be so sure?" He looked down at me, face so impassive yet so threatening. I wanted to step back, but forced myself to stay still.

"So that, is what I want to know. The truth. A new purpose, that you will give me."

"I can't tell you," I answered immediately, my voice strained. I hadn't expected this. I could _not_ tell him this world was a bloody movie. He raised his eyebrows.

"You will."

"I-"

"This is your last chance. Answer me, and you will be spared the needless pain."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I glanced at Rogers, whose eyes were piercing into mine with a surprising intensity, and knew without doubt what I needed to say.

"Nope." I popped the p. "No thank you. But...I'll reconsider if you hand me the reality stone, though." I added casually, and he laughed softly, a deep sound that echoed around the room.

"Amusing to the end. I think I shall miss it, when you're broken."

"Thanos," Rogers tried. "You don't have to do this. Let her go. She's just a-"

"I will _punch_ you if you say child," I muttered darkly, and he looked at me seriously.

"This isn't a-"

"Joke. Ha. I'm finishing your sentences. How predictable of you." I turned to Thanos. "Can _he_ go? He's annoying."

"Regis," His voice was quiet but somewhat desperate and Thanos tilted his head.

"I don't think he wants to leave."

"But-"

The Titan waved a hand, and Alien 1 emerged out of the shadows silently like a ugly ninja. "Take him back to the cell."

Okay, I gotta admit, being alone with Thanos suddenly seemed very daunting. My eyes went wild, darting between Rogers and Thanos and he snapped his fingers, and suddenly Alien 2 was in front of me.

I felt the familiar but still unpleasant tingle of magic crawling like ants over my skin. Thanos had used the reality stone.

I stumbled back, my mind wondering what the fuck was going on, and raised my hands in alarm and realized I wasn't handcuffed anymore. Alien 2 slowly walked towards me and I kept stepping backwards until I realized my magic was back and snapped out a palm to push him backwards with the air.

He didn't even flinch.

I growled, glancing over at Rogers who was struggling futilely, since he was still in his handcuffs. Alien 1 knocked him in the jaw and I couldn't see what happened next because Alien 2 did the same to my face.

It hurt. I tripped, almost fell into the water, and barely managed to stop the ground smacking into my head. I cursed, tasted blood, and got a kick to my stomach for my troubles. Air rushed out of my lungs and I gasped, stopping the next strike with my arms. I tried to swipe his/her legs out from under him/her like I had seen Loki do, but his/her legs were too firmly planted on the ground and I made do with getting up from the ground again.

Thanos looked bored from his seat on the throne. Rogers was getting dragged out, a staff across his nape. Our eyes met and I only just avoided having a melt-down right there and then.

Then he was gone and Alien 2 was there and I dodged a jab from his stick, stepping sideways and trying to run, but his/her hand caught my hair and jerked, drawing tears to my eyes. I spun, kicking his/her-ugh _its_ shin, and it let go and I tried to punch its face. But the Alien was too fast and knocked my arm away and lashed out, my head snapping back and I lost all sense of balance and fell to the ground.

_Fuck_, I thought before it kicked me once, twice, thrice, and whatever the word was for four times, and I curled up into a ball, a searing pain in my mind drowning out any coherent thoughts. Any movement brought agony and I would have screamed if I had the moment. Thanos was saying something and the Alien kicked me again and my ribs felt jagged and I was pretty sure I should be able to breath but I couldn't.

Then suddenly, the pain went away miraculously. I laid there, waiting for it to return, and frowned when it didn't. I wiped a hand across my mouth for the blood but there was none, and I stared at my fingers for a moment before understanding settled in my mind. Reality stone. It wasn't real. The pain I felt wasn't real.

I tried to stand but couldn't, my legs refusing to budge and the phantom aches making me cry out as I did.

"Do you wish to talk, now?" Thanos asked absentmindedly. "It's not weak of you to admit when you have lost, child."

I did my best to maintain a grasp on my consciousness that was slipping away even as the seconds passed. I opened my mouth, shut it, and opened it again, releasing the tension in my body with a breath.

I looked up at the dark ceiling, and wondered what was going on in my world. Did they know I was gone? Or had time not passed at all? Were they going on with their lives normally, like I wasn't being tortured a universe away?

Somehow that thought brought some sort of twisted amusement to my mind, and I smiled like I knew something he didn't, and could never know.

"Go easy on me," I croaked, my throat dry. "I'm feeling _very_ delicate today."

Thanos laughed and a feet stomped on my chest and darkness rained upon me until I could feel nothing.

* * *

_I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;_  
_I lift my lids and all is born again._  
_(I think I made you up inside my head.)_

_The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,_  
_And arbitrary blackness gallops in:_  
_I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead._

_I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed_  
_And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane._  
_(I think I made you up inside my head.)_

_God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:_  
_Exit seraphim and Satan's men:_  
_I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead._

_I fancied you'd return the way you said,_  
_But I grow old and I forget your name._  
_(I think I made you up inside my head.)_

_I should have loved a thunderbird instead;_  
_At least when spring comes they roar back again._  
_I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead._  
_(I think I made you up inside my head.)_

Mad Girl's Love Song - Sylvia Plath

* * *

A/N: I just like this poem. It has nothing to do with the story. I mean, it could, if you want it to be. It's up to you to decide.

Please review. I'm really anxious to hear what you guys thought of this one.


	35. Chapter 35 : No way out of the mind

Sometime when it was all over-although I don't remember much except the pain and the swearwords echoing in my mind- I found myself back in the cell, with no recollection of how I had gotten back.

I blinked furiously. There was something fascinating about how my body hurt when it shouldn't, when my ribs hadn't been broken and my wrist hadn't been stomped on and my face hadn't been bloodied. Fascinating, but of course also infuriating. I was fine. I should have been fine. But I wasn't.

I wanted to close my eyes and go back to that familiar feeling of Nothingness, but the throbs and the aches of my body refused to let me go, like bloody idiots. I was an idiot. I was a bloody idiot, for getting captured and getting tortured and not saying something. Who cares if Thanos realizes he's a movie character? Certainly not me. Well, he might find a way to get to my world and try to kill everybody in both universes, but who cares? I wouldn't be kicked to death again.

I blinked again and found blue eyes staring into mine, and faintly remembered that I hadn't been alone. I felt stupid for lying there on the ground and tried to sit up, but my stupid body didn't care much about my dignity, unlike my stupid mind. I bit back a groan, and barely managed to lean against the wall.

Rogers thrusted a cup of water into my hands and I took it, drinking and feeling much better.

"Thanks," I muttered gratefully. His eyes were still wearing that sad worried look that better suited a kicked puppy. I hated him looking at me with pity. "I'm fine." I said, when he didn't stop. He frowned.

"You can barely move."

"I can move." I held up a hand, careful not to jostle my body. "See? Movement. I didn't get hurt. Not literally."

"But you still feel it, can't you?" Roger's murmured, and I shrugged slightly.

"Not much," I lied, and scowled. "This is depressing. Let's talk about something else."

"What did he mean? What truth?"

"Uh, I _just_ said let's talk about something else."

"I need to know," Rogers set his lips in a line. "So I can stop him from...you." It was obvious he hated the thought of someone else being hurt rather than him. The Avengers were a bunch of self-sacrificing bastards.

"You can never know," I told him truthfully, after a moment of hesitation. I figured I could give him this much. "It's not just about him. It's about...this universe, and, I guess you can call it the _answer_. The answer to the question that is this universe."

The lines in his forehead deepened, and he looked wary. "And how do you know it?"

I pursed my lips. "Because I'm not from here."

His face morphed from stunned to realization and I hoped he wouldn't ask anymore questions. I really didn't know how I would answer.

I scoured my brain for ways to change the subject and found one, and tried to stand. My body disagreed with that decision. My legs buckled and I almost toppled on top of Cap, him wrinkling his eyebrows as he grabbed my arms, holding me firmly.

"Stay still," He ordered, lowering me down to the ground again and I made a face.

"I was-" I pointed at the dish of prison food. "Gonna get that."

"I can do that for you," He reminded me like I was a toddler, and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I'm an independent person and can walk."

"You can't. You almost fell on me." He pointed out.

"I can." I argued. "Give or take ten minutes."

"I'm not watching you sit there for ten minutes when I can get it in three seconds." As if to prove the point, he did. I didn't know whether I should thank him or be mad.

So I did neither, and glared down at the piece of bread and a bowl of soup. This wasn't what I had expected when I had first made the decision to help the heroes, that first day in Stark Tower. I thought it would be easy. Tell them Thanos was coming, get to meet some famous people, and have a few laughs and someday end up back in my world.

Not...this. Not pain and depression. I hadn't thought those characters would become...real, in some sense, to me. I hadn't thought I would risk everything for these people.

It hurt. It felt like something in my chest had became bigger and bigger until it was so fragile, so easy to burst. And right now, I was exploding, air knocked out of my body. A weight was on me, a weight I had no idea how to deal with.

"Regis?" Rogers prodded, face uncertain and I realized my eyes had welled up with tears. I felt pathetic, swiping them away with a trembling hand.

"I'm sorry," He muttered and I shrugged away the apology, tucking strands of loose hair behind my ear.

I tore the bread in half absentmindedly, and handed one piece to Rogers who looked like he was going to refuse until I tilted my head at him, and he took it with a sheepish look. It tasted like paper. But nice paper.

I munched, wondering if that was all we were gonna get until tomorrow, then tried to think of something else because the word tomorrow brought back so many things I did not want to re-experience.

"We have to escape," He said. I raised my eyebrows at him like _no duh, _and he seemed vaguely embarrassed, flushing.

"How?"

He paused. "I don't know, yet."

"We could try before they put the handcuffs on us," I suggested because that was the first thing that came to my mind, but he didn't look impressed.

"We tried that."

"I'll get out of your way faster."

"It's too risky."

"They won't kill me," I protested. "They want something from me."

"They _can_ still seriously hurt you. For real, this time."

"So we're hopeless?"

He gave me a look. The determined we-can-do-this-shit Steve Rogers look.

"We can have hope, even if we don't have a plan yet. We are going to get out of here, and all we need is time."

"And a plan," I muttered under my breath and felt bad for being so cynical. But what could I say, when I did not like-no wait, _hated _the idea of having to wait. I didn't want to wait. I didn't think I could wait.

I was pretty sure I wasn't traumatized or something, because I had once been obsessed with psychology and I had known to dissociate myself when I was getting beaten up. I went into that little room in my head I used in boring math classes or when mom was scolding me or for this memorable occasion, torture. I was somewhat bemused to think that from now on, math classes wouldn't be so painful. It was simply not comparable.

There were three types of trauma. Acute trauma, that results from a single incident. Chronic trauma, which is repeated and prolonged trauma such as domestic violence or abuse. And finally, complex trauma, exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events. Which meant right now if I _was_ traumatized or something, I probably had the first type.

But as the shock wore off slowly, I was realizing I was better than I had thought I was.

I knew I was a very self-aware person. I was confident of how the environment and the other people's actions effected _my_ thoughts and actions. I recognized what I felt, what I thought. And right now, I was not broken like Rogers worried and Thanos hoped. I wasn't going to crumble that simply.

I tried out a shaky smile at myself, and felt good when it came easily. I stretched my arms and legs, kneading my muscles when it felt stiff. And when I tried to stand up, under Roger's wary watch, I could. I smiled.

"Ta-dah."

"Take it easy," He remarked, and I rolled my eyes.

"There isn't even any room to run." I answered, and Rogers looked alarmed at that, like he hadn't thought I would be trying to run. I had to smile. He was so easy to make fun of. I could understand why he and Tony didn't get along. Stark would have seen too many opportunities for a joke, and Rogers would've felt uncomfortable. (And, oh yeah, his best friend murdered Tony's parents.)

Which was totally why I was going to make fun of him.

"Remind me to get a selfie with you after we're out of here."

"Selfie?" He frowned. "Why?"

"Because you're famous and you're hot." I shrugged casually.

"I'm not-" He paused, then seemed to reconsider. I grinned. "I was talking about fame," He hastily added.

"Of course you were," I replied smoothly, and he scowled and made a sad face at the same time, which resulted in some sort of a pout. It was cute.

"Are all modern teenagers like you?" He muttered, and I shrugged.

"I like to think I'm fabulously weird," Rogers smiled slightly. "But yeah. Basically."

I yawned, sitting back down because I was a physically weak person who also did not like standing when unnecessary.

"Life used to be so boring," I murmured slowly. "I used to get so excited when I had a free day to sleep in. And eat bacons for breakfast."

"Bacons?"

"Koreans don't eat bacons. And I don't really eat breakfast." I tilted my head. "And I will _strangle_ you if you say breakfasts are the most important meal of the day."

He raised his eyebrows, amused. "I wasn't going to."

"Well, good." I yawned again. "Life was boring in Korea. All I ever did was study and read. And listen to music. I kept thinking there must be more to life, something adventurous waiting for me, and then...I ended up here."

"You got the adventure you wanted," Rogers said softly, and I shook my head faintly.

"I should've been careful what I wished for, I guess. My life is painted with extremes. Extremely boring, or extremely painful." I let out a huff of breath. "I should've been here before all this dangerous shit. I would've been awesome at resolving the issues you idiots have."

"I think you would have been," He agreed, and I blinked, caught off guard.

"Thanks...?" I replied, and he peered at me with a particular fondness that's usually reserved for small puppies. I felt simultaneously appreciative and insulted.

"You have a certain...air around you. You're accepting. Of everything. You seem like you know me well."

"I _do_ know you well. You're a national figure," I lied easily, but Rogers shook his head quickly, eyes filled with what seemed uncomfortably too much like trust.

"Not like that. In a..._personal_ way," He insisted, tone unwavering.

I looked at him, confused and tired and amused and worried, and nodded, because that was all I could do.

"I know things," I said, because that was all I could say.

And some part of me hated that.

* * *

I woke under Thanos's throne.

My heart rate went from 70 to 110 in a blink, the blood rushing to my head as I scrambled to stand. I swayed slightly, lightheaded and unbalanced, and whipped my head around, trying to see if anyone was with me.

Rogers was on the ground next to me. Thanos and the aliens were not present.

I bent over, nudged him in the arm gently. "Hey. Wake up."

My voice sounded way more panicky than I intended it to be and Rogers shot up, asleep one second and alert the next. He surveyed the surroundings, super-soldier mode on, and tugged me behind.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just don't know what's going on."

He glanced down at his hands, and the lines in his forehead deepened.

"They didn't even put the handcuffs on." He noted, incredulous.

And then, I felt it. The tingling sensation of something not _quite_ right. Reality was distorted, and we were in Thanos's playground.

"He used the reality stone," I quietly said, and Rogers looked at me, face hardening. "We have to be careful. Anything can happen."

"_Yes. Anything._"

I whirled around, trying to pinpoint where Thanos's voice was coming from, but it was everywhere; his words surrounded us, echoed in the mind like a broken record.

"Show yourself," I yelled, scared enough to not think some ridiculous thoughts about Frozen 2. Thanos chuckled, a deep sound that made me want to wish I _did_ say something ridiculous, because I hated being intimidated, and that was exactly what Thanos was making me feel right now.

"_I wondered why you didn't break yesterday,_" He hummed noncommittally, and the echo made it feel like he was right behind me, breathing on my neck. I scowled.

"Because you're an idiot."

"_No, I think it's because I lacked some _creativity." His voice was amused, I could feel it, and I hated it. "_I think I'll enjoy today. I hope you do, too."_

I made a face, my hands becoming sweaty very quickly, and gave the room the finger. I wasn't sure where he was, so I might have flipped off nothing but the air, to be honest. It didn't matter much, though. Because when I turned around, Rogers was staring at me.

It was a bad stare. It was the kind of stare that made my lizard brain think something was very very wrong and made my survival instincts scream _run you idiot, _but all I could think was I had to get that look off of his face.

"Cap?" I asked, my throat dry, and there was no preemptive, no nothing. He lunged forward and we went down, my ankle twisting under our combined weight.

He threw a punch and I blocked with magic, throwing him to the side with a grunt. White hot pain shot up from my ankle, but I ignored that and struggled to stand, looking at him with panicked caution. That was not Rogers. It was wearing his face, wearing his body, but it was _not him._

I opened my mouth and he lashed out a kick that I barely saw coming, and I twisted my body and it caught the edge of my waist instead of my stomach and I stumbled back, raising my hands. I tried to think of some way to subdue him with magic but all I could think of was how to snap his neck and I didn't want to do _that_ and-

He aimed a fist at my face and I dodged awkwardly, but he lead it with a kick to my twisted ankle and there was an audible _crack, _and I cried out, fell. He kicked again, a strike I caught with my hands in front of my face and pulled, but it wasn't enough to make him lose balance and I snapped my palm outwards, the air slamming into him.

He skidded a couple steps back. Not enough. Not enough for me to stand.

I crawled back desperately, trying to put some distance between the two of us and realized I was going to fall into the water if I got any further, and he strode towards me with a cruel arrogant look on his face that really shouldn't fit that well. I tried pushing at the air again but he was ready for that, planting his feet onto the ground and not budging.

I couldn't stand. My ankle was definitely shattered. The pain clouded my sight, clouded my brain and I decided falling into whatever liquid that was would be definitely better than facing the brainwashed super-soldier in front of me. _Was_ he brainwashed? Or was he aware of what he was doing? I hoped he wasn't. He would be all sad about it later.

I gave the dark waters one last skeptical look and steeled myself for the drop but Rogers grabbed my leg, fortunately the good side, and pulled back. I grasped the ledge but he was too strong and he struck my head with his foot, and knocked my jaw back and everything went black for a moment. After that, the pain was enough to make me black out for real this time.

But I couldn't. I wouldn't. Sad Rogers was uncomfortable Rogers and I did not want that at _all_.

I gritted my teeth, immediately regretted it because my jaw hurt like _hell_, and twisted my hand and pried open his grip on me with magic. I then delivered a firm kick with my okay foot to his shin and he lurched, and I kicked again, using the air to re-enforce the strike, and he staggered.

I wobbled back, back, back, until my back hit air and I fell for a brief moment that felt like eternity, and hit the liquid.

I instantly knew it had been the wrong choice.

The liquid wasn't water at all, but some kind of tar-like substance that felt sticky to the touch. I raised my hand to see it was black, and felt seriously stupid for my stupid decision to fall into an alien pool of evil liquid.

My ankle sent me sharp daggers of pain and I had a migraine that felt like it could swallow me whole, and I was encased in alien black goo. This was _not_ a good situation.

At least Rogers wouldn't follow me down-

He did. Fuck.

The splash of his descend sent drops of goo into my eyes and I wiped at them furiously while trying to backtrack, and Rogers grabbed the hand in front of my face and twisted it to the side, breaking the arm and I couldn't scream, because my chest felt tight inside this water-but-not-quite and I was pretty sure I was dying.

I blinked furiously but my vision was tainted, and I barely blocked a fist with my unbroken arm. But then he pushed, and I almost tripped and he caught me, to throw another punch and with the last bout of my magic I slammed everything I had-air, magic, thoughts- at him.

I had forgotten he had a grip on me.

We went underwater.

* * *

A/N : Wow almost 300 followers, thank you!

I know these days updates are slow but depressing shit is hard to write, so bear with me.

But in the meanwhile come follow me on Instagram : **aratay_26 **where I post random fangirl-y stuff and y'all can pester me about updates.

Thank you for reading, and I appreciate any kind of feedback, so please review!


	36. Chapter 36 : Shit is crazy right?

Ow ow ow. Ow. Ooh. Awkward. Ow.

Today's, um, _smack-down_ session had been much shorter than yesterday. I had died too quickly, although that sounded ridiculous even in my own head. I had blacked out, before Thanos could make some threatening noises that barely pierced through the shroud of pain.

I was guessing Evil Rogers's goal hadn't been to torture me, but to just kill me, which explained why today had been different from yesterday. The Alien had drawn out the pain. Rogers hadn't.

Dying had felt..._liberating_, even if it was only for a few seconds. I wasn't sure whether real dying also felt like that, but the cool darkness snatching away my conscious had been better than all the stupid aches plaguing my body.

Still, I had broken Cap's hand. By being a punching bag. It made me feel better in some weird way. I hadn't been helpless. I had fought back, even when I knew I had no chance against a brain-washed super-soldier.

I remembered dying. Then un-dying. Then drifting around in some body-less peaceful state.

And then, waking up.

"Ow." I said out loud. My throat was parched, so dry that it hurt. Strangulation would do that to a person. My thoughts felts jilted, cut off, like I didn't have the mental capability to think full sentences.

I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark, and gritted my teeth, dragging up my body. I leaned back against the wall, peered into the dark at Rogers. He had his eyes closed, slumped. I couldn't tell if he was awake or not.

I closed my eyes as well, drifting back into the darkness, and when I opened them after a while, he was looking at me.

"Hey," I said, because I had nothing to say. "How are you?" I added, because I had nothing to add.

Wow. I felt like a bloody idiot.

He didn't answer, and I nudged my head at the plate of food anxiously. "We should probably eat, before they give us bathroom breaks." I tugged at my shirt, wishing I was anywhere but here.

Rogers was silent, and I rolled my eyes. "Can you hand me the bread?" I asked, hoping to get some reaction out of him, and he shifted his gaze to the bread and moved, sliding the plate right in front of me. I withheld a flinch, when he got close. I had no idea why I had been about to flinch-

Oh. Right. Torture thing.

Well. That was not helpful.

"We should talk," I said, semi-resigned.

He turned his head. "We don't have to."

"We _should_."

"What do you want me to say?" Sass. That was surprisingly a good sign.

I shrugged. "How about, _you're amazing and I'm an idiot?_" He stared at me. I rolled my eyes again, this time with more vigor. "Fine, let's go with _I'm not traumatized by something I had no control over._"

There was a brief heavy pause.

"I killed you. I-"

"No, Thanos _made_ you do it. There's like, a lot of difference."

"I _killed_ you," Rogers repeated. "My hands carried it out. My hands, _strangled_ you."

I winced. "I would much prefer if you didn't think of me as a corpse, because there's so much of my personality that has nothing to do with being dead." I raised my hand. "See? Alive."

"I remember you dying," Rogers said quietly. "And I remember being horrified, and I remember-I _remember_ that I could've stopped it."

I tried hard not to roll my eyes, because this was serious and I understood some part of what he was saying, but I just didn't get the superheroes' guilt complexes. Like, dude. Of course you couldn't have stopped it. Thanos had a bloody _Infinity_ Stone.

"You couldn't have, dude." I frowned. "I broke your hand. Am I supposed to feel guilty for that too?"

"Of course not," He snapped, like I was ridiculous, and I smiled smugly.

"See? No reason to beat yourself up."

"It's different."

"It's really not."

His eyes were dark. I could tell this place was not any good for either of us. I let out a huff, and leaned my head back against the wall. "You were not as strong as I would have expected," I told him lightly. "I had a chance. If we do this again, I'm pretty sure I can win."

"We're not doing this again," He said, anger flashing in his eyes. "It's not a _joke_. I-," He breathed out sharply. "We're not doing this again," He repeated slowly, voice shaky.

"I wasn't saying this is a joke," I said, feeling exasperated. "I'm just trying to make best of the situation. I mean, it's like _I'm_ the one that was killed, you know. Why am _I_ comforting _you_?" I felt bad, instantly, the pained look in his eyes making me feel like an asshole.

"I'm sorry," He said. "I'm-"

There was a clang. Our heads shot up, to my neck's complain, but then there was another clang-metal hitting the stone ground-, and the pain was forgotten.

I tried to stand up, and again, my body-my neck and all the way down to my ankle-, complained. I lost balance, my muscles feeling incredibly stiff, and Rogers grabbed me, and I clamped down on my jaw to not recoil violently. Fuck.

My brain, at least the rational part of me, understood he wasn't a threat. But my body hadn't gotten the message, and there was a voice screaming in my head, an instinct that wanted to get his hands off me immediately. It didn't help that when I looked at his face, I was all of a sudden back in that dark waters, feeling like I was about to drown, his eyes boring into me-_A strike across my ribs, and I doubled over, and he jerked my head back, glaring, glaring, glar-_

I held my breath, and tried not to show that I was a moment away from freaking out.

Rogers shot me a disapproving look, oblivious, and I breathed out and shrugged his hand off unapologetically.

But I forgot all about the guy behind me, when I took in what, or more exactly, _who_ was passing by our cell. The blue alien. Karen Gillian, from Doctor Who. Nebula.

Right. She had been kidnapped too. My pulse sped up to impossible heights, when I realized what this meant. She could rescue us! We could _escape_.

"Nebula!" My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. "Um-hey!"

Her steps hitched, when she heard her name. She turned around slowly, eyes piercing into my form.

"What." She snapped, voice quiet.

"Um, please help us escape?"

Her head tilted, and in the soft silence I could hear the literal gears in her neck turning. "Why should I?"

"We know Gamora. Well," My voice also grew quiet. "We _knew _her."

"What do you mean?" She asked in a sentence that sounded more like a statement than a question, her tone threateningly low. She walked closer to us, and I glanced at Rogers anxiously. His face was unreadable.

"Thanos killed her."

She went completely still.

"We were trying to defeat him, but then he...he was too powerful. Gamora died, and he took us."

"No," she murmured. "No, no. My sister is not dead."

I pursed my lips. "I can show you what happened, if you let us out. We can take you to the Guardians."

I was pretty sure everyone could hear my heart pumping, in the silence that followed. Damn. Everything hung on Nebula. I was never as nervous as I was that moment.

Then Nebula headed back the way she had came, and for a moment my heart plummeted down to the ground, but then she knelt down beside the two aliens she had taken out, and rooted their pockets for the key. My heart jumped back in my chest.

I pumped my fist discreetly. I turned to Rogers. "We're getting out of here," I whispered cheerfully.

"We're not out yet," He answered carefully, but I shrugged happily because this was the best news we had gotten in the last few days.

Nebula unlocked the cell door, and I walked out coolly, or at least in my mind I did, and Rogers was _not_ glaring at me the entire time I did.

Pretending to be awesome was so hard.

I gave up, after a while. Well, a while in my head translated to three seconds in the world. I casually leaned back against the bars, my legs trembling. Nebula scowled at me, but I could tell her mind was somewhere else, her eyes incredibly black.

"I can show you my memories." I offered, half-hoping I could. I only knew how to do it, from Loki's teachings, but I had never tried. I knew I had to be careful, in order to not accidentally spoil the existence of the world to Nebula.

She nodded. I focused, and reached out a hand, resting it gently across her forehead.

And suddenly, I was back at the Knowhere.

I guided Nebula's conscious into the memory, acknowledging her presence as the Past Me rushed to Thanos in a futile attempt to overpower him. The memories flashed in front of our eyes, and I focused on not letting any of my current thoughts slipping into her mind.

I felt her stiffen when Gamora went down, and before I knew it I slumped back against the wall, exhausted and tired and ready to fall asleep any moment now.

Nebula looked at me, with easily hidden sorrow and anger in her eyes. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, then closed it.

"The escape pod is that way," And she strode down the hallway.

"Fuck," I muttered. There was no way I could keep her with her, not while I was this out of energy physically and mentally. "Fuck." I sighed, turning to Rogers who held up an eyebrow expectantly. "You're not carrying me," I told him.

"Okay."

"I can walk." I really couldn't.

"Okay."

I gritted my teeth. He probably thought I was appalled because I despised depending on someone else. And yes, while that did take up a part of this overwhelming dislike I felt in the situation, it was mostly how I felt like he was going to choke me again-_His hands pushing me under the water, and I knocked my shattered ankle against the ground and I screamed, the liquid filling up my throat and-_

It was irrational. It was irrational. I repeated the mantra in my mind, as I opened my mouth.

"...Can I lean on you?"

His eyebrows wrinkled with what seemed suspiciously like amusement. Stupid oblivious Rogers. "Okay."

* * *

The way to the pod was surprisingly empty, Nebula swiftly taking out anyone that stumbled across our path. I just focused on not falling over or falling unconscious and put one foot in front of the other, and just when we entered the ship, the alarms began blaring.

Nebula took the pilot's seat, and before Rogers and I even sat down, we were hurtling out of Thanos's ship with impossible speed.

"Titan," I told Nebula. "We have to go to Titan."

"I know."

She replied. And as the ship set course, and I finally relaxed into the chair. My mind was screaming _yay_ and _fuck_ at the same time, but there was also something itching at my mind, something at the back of my brain that was begging for my attention.

_I'm sorry._

Strange. I sat up instantly, eyes widening.

He had known what would happen to me. What would happen to _us-a knee rammed into my stomach in quick succession, but I could barely feel my ribs breaking as the black liquid burned inside me, my eyes squeezed shu-._

I couldn't help it; it hurt. I would think that stopping my protege from getting tortured would be a priority in anyone's mind, not just mine. He had let it happen. He had-

He had seen the future. And if this meant what I thought it did, I had to have been tortured to save the world.

My mind spun.

So what was I supposed to do, now? If future was set in stone, did that mean that any random action I took was the path to stopping Thanos? _Was_ the future set in stone? Could I disrupt it, with anything I did?

Fucking Strange. I was so confused.

But at least we weren't captured anymore. At least-I glanced at Rogers-we were safe.

Ugh. That dude was like a puppy you were afraid to leave at home because it would worry so much about your life. The puppy that was super-competent, but always tried to jump outside the window to save someone else's ass. The puppy-

This metaphor was failing so bad I couldn't even keep it going in my own head.

I clammed a hand over my mouth to stop from laughing. I felt insanely weird. And happy. And scared.

I liked Rogers a lot. _Nobody_ could dislike Captain America. But even so, he was _so_ nice, in a way that I would not have liked unless he had a dark side, and he did. He had a _hot_ dark side_-He dragged me above, and I sputtered the water out of my lungs as he climbed on top of me, hands wrapping easily around my_ _thro_-. I liked the layers. I liked his complicated over-sacrificing psyche. I didn't like how he treated me like something fragile, but I liked that he was soft and round. Loki was not soft and round. He was all edges.

God, I missed everyone. It had only been like three days, but the hours had felt infinite.

I didn't even know if they were all alive. The last memories of everyone was fuzzy, and shrouded in a wrap of adrenaline and fear that made it hard to think back on. I even missed Strange, that utilitarian asshole. I wished I could go back to the weeks I had spent with Wanda and Tony and Strange, no problems in my mind.

But now Heimdall was gone, Gamora was dead, and I had a choke-full of problems.

Rogers blinked and I realized I had been staring at him creepily, and turned away, crossing my arms. "You okay?"

"Yes," he answered hesitantly.

"We're cool, right?" I asked, hopefully. "You're not mad?"

He looked at me. "I'm angry at a lot of people, but none of them are you."

"Um. Okay." I tilted my head. "I was hoping for a less intense answer, but you do you." I bit the inside of my cheek. "Also, when we're telling them what happened, I'm talking. Not you. Okay?"

"Why?"

"Because everything I say is a miracle," I joked, smiling faintly.

He did not smile. "You do that a lot."

"Do what?"

"Dilute serious conversations with self-deprecating humor."

"I do not know what that word means," I replied, and my face fell because he was giving me a pointed look and I realized I had done it again. "Shut up," I muttered.

"I didn't say anything."

"Your eyes say plenty."

"So." He crossed his arms. "Why?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I denied, looking far away into space. "Oh, look. Stars! How fascinating!"

"Regis," He started, and I searched desperately for a subject that would snatch his mind away. I came up with nothing. "You can't avoid everything."

"I can," I retorted. "I avoid getting hit by cars and going to gym. Oh, I also avoid having no sarcastic come-back to anyone who forces me into an awkward position." I felt particularly proud about that last sentence. "You're stupid." About that sentence, less so.

"You're lashing out." He remarked.

"Uh, yeah I am."

"What's so important about telling everyone what happened yourself? Why-"

"Because I'm not going to tell them what happened, you idiot!" I exploded, and he recoiled, and I rolled my eyes. "Like, what would I even _say_? Oh, by the way, remember when Thanos kidnapped me and Cap for a while? I got tortured! But you know, no biggie."

"Regis-"

"Oh, and then Thanos turned Cap evil, and he killed me, and now I have to focus on not freaking out each time he comes near me. How interesting, right? What happened to you guys? Oh, it's nowhere near my level? Well, that's fucking _sad_." I spat, and turned away, not nearly ready to deal with whatever face he was making right now.

I was grateful Nebula ignored us. I was pretty sure she heard my outburst. If she was human, she would be like _you have issues, man. _And yes, I was starting to realize I _did_ have some issues.

But you know, who dealt with their issues in superhero movies? _Nobody_, that's who.

So I sat there silently, he sat there silently, and the ship flew silently, and I, _stupidly_, got a Halsey song stuck in my head.

_And we both hope there's something_  
_But we both keep fronting_  
_And it's a closed discussion_  
_And I'm thinking _

_Damn, if these walls could talk_

_Well they'd be like  
__  
Shit is crazy right?_

* * *

A/N: 개학정말지루하더라도대체왜한거야 온라인이 낫는듯..ㅋ 나 요즘 한니발에 꽃혔어 잔인한 거 좋아하면 꼭 보삼 정말 후회안해 진짜 사랑해 하니발 렉터&윌 그래햄! 결혼해 둘이!

어쨋든 이 스토리는 진짜 파국이다...ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ미치겠어 난 미쳤어 진짜 아흑 왜 이러는 거지 끆 정말 흑역사가 될것같다...제발 날 협박하지 마 이것 갖고 협박하면 내가 내 모든 것을 바칠걸ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ마이 베이빜ㅋㅋ마이 쪽팔리고 당황스럽고 그지같은 베이비...

너는 영재고 준비하고 있겠군 열심히 하렴 나는 열심히 이 쓸데없는 팬픽을 쓸테닠ㅋㅋㅋㅋ정말 자괴감든닼

어쨌든 아엠 어썸. 유 캔비 어썸. 저스트 트라이 어 빗 하더. 라이크 미.

Upper-mentioned song is Halsey's Walls Could Talk.


	37. Chapter 37 : -hastily lying about shit-

I have a meltdown half-way on to Titan, my head in my palms. Overall I think it's a nice freak-out, because it was very silent and discreet and nobody could have possibly guessed I was having one.

But the thing was, I felt like I should be a little less depressed.

I felt like I should be more angry, than sad. I felt like I should be angry at Thanos, some at Rogers, and most at the universe that dragged me into this situation. Heroes in all the movies I watched channeled their anger into something worthwhile, and always succeeded to bring about justice.

But all I wanted to do was crawl into a bed, _any_ bed, and cry my eyes out about how unfair it all was.

I didn't even understand what I was feeling. I didn't have the time nor the peace to sort through all my memories and all my emotions, analyzing them with with a detached air I absolutely knew I couldn't pull off. I would just end up crying, with no idea why I was doing so.

My options were few and neither of them very good. Compartmentalize, or accept it all and start sobbing about wanting ice cream. I wanted chocolate ice cream. I wanted it _really_ really badly.

And...yeah. It was pretty obvious which decision I should pick.

So I pushed all thoughts about ice cream, pain, and etcetera-annoying shit- down in a mental rabbit hole, boarded it with some posters of Halsey, and watched as Thanos's demolished home world grew closer.

Titan was desolate.

Why did they name Titan Titan? Weren't the _race_ called Titans? So, basically, Titans lived on Titan? That was like saying Earths lived on Earth. What a lazy, dumbass naming.

...Anyway, the planet looked like one big gigantic relic site, as if I just looked closer, I would be able to catch some archaeologists digging away at the pile of crap, marveling at the significance of their discovery.

_Oh look_, they would say. _We found the world that purple dude used to live on! _

The important thing was that while there weren't any Indiana Jones-s on the planet, Nebula easily tracked down the Guardian's ship frequency and landed the ship next to the group of people I could plainly recognize. Not a single word was spoken during the landing.

The godawful awkwardness was eating me up from inside but I clamped down on my mouth, knowing that I would ramble shit about random things if I didn't. The ramp rolled down, and Nebula stalked out, and Rogers and I spent a useless weird moment looking at each other.

Finally, I gave up. "Look," I said, then realized I didn't have anything I wanted him to see. I eventually got so lost in my maze of thoughts that I just stood there, mouth open, like I was on the brink of saying something really important, but had forgotten what it was. Probably looked like I was having an epiphany or something.

Rogers cleared his throat politely, and I blinked.

"Um, don't say anything stupid," I blurted, realizing I was definitely talking to myself, and scurried off the ramp, turning the corner and running immediately into the team. Stark, Strange, Peter, and the Guardians that were clustered around Nebula, and finally, Loki.

We all stared at each other, including Rogers, who joined us after a belated moment.

And then I pounced on Loki, closest to me. He leaned back automatically but I hugged him, feeling slightly hysterical. God. Hugs were really not my thing, but when Loki decidedly tapped my shoulder in some semi-resemblance to a reassuring pat, it felt really good.

"I wanted to go after you," he murmured in my ear, voice urgent like he had to justify himself to someone. Most probably himself. "But the wizard-"

"I know," I whispered back. "I know. It's okay."

"Hey," Tony said, voice evident in his relief. "Stop hugging the god of evil. Strange, your apprentice is hugging the god of evil."

"I can see," Strange said, tone dry. "Regis, stop hugging the god of evil."

I rolled my eyes, but stepped back and turned to Peter while the adults shared some snarky words to Rogers about being alive. I smiled brightly at the boy.

"We thought you were dead," Peter said anxiously, and I noted that he had his arms around his body. Broken ribs, probably. I narrowed my eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Are you?"

I nodded nonchalantly. "This is crazy, isn't it?"

He grinned back. "Definitely."

We hugged, and I marveled at the fact that Peter was taller than me. He felt like such a..._kid_ to me. Which was weird, because he was definitely older than me. Still, he felt like the younger brother I never had. I wanted to protect him, in some strange way.

The Guardians looked somber, but somewhat happy that Nebula was again with them. Quill's eyes were red, and it was obvious he had been crying lately. I hated Thanos again, the passion never losing fuel. It was almost amusing, how the reminders of his evilness was all around me.

We half molded into a circle naturally, Mantis and Drax slumped on their seats next to what seemed like steps leading up to an...altar. I again realized I really needed to study more English terms.

"So," Tony started, his eyes subdued but his mouth smiling. "What happened?"

I noticed Rogers and I had ended up right next to each other, and cursed the heavens for making that happen. But he kept quiet, looking at me steadily, and I shrugged absentmindedly.

"Nothing much," I remarked lightly. "It was only a few days, and he gave us food. He talked a lot about Gamora."

I could literally hear Rogers's disapproving look drilling a hole in my face.

"My father does not keep prisoners without reason," Nebula decided she hates me, I think. Her voice was quiet. "He would have wanted something from you."

"Well," I shrugged again, quickly realizing I was losing this battle. "Maybe he needed someone to talk to, who knows. He's crazy, right?"

The rest of them just looked confused, but Rogers stepped in.

"What about you?" There was something authoritative about his voice, that demanded an answer without actually demanding. It was undeniably nice to have that dude having my back, and I realized, with a sinking heart, that I did slightly have a crush on him.

Wow. I mean, he was attractive, but that dude literally killed me like a day ago. I am so fucked up.

Eh. I didn't think much about it. I used to have a crush on like, _everyone_ around me at a certain point in my life. I used to love Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock, and Iron Man was just so cool, and Peter was very cute as Spiderman. Also, I did have a slight obsession with Loki in sixth grade. And Karen Gillian, like, she was _gorgeous. _Even as a bald blue alien.

So. No biggie.

"Thanos sent some pods after us," Strange answered. "We had to fight them off, and-"

"We couldn't rescue you," Tony interrupted, guilt dropping off his words. "There were just too many of them."

"Then Mantis got your message," Quill told Nebula. "And here we are."

There was a moment of silence.

"Thanos is coming," Nebula said, offering the information like it was nothing important. I recoiled visibly.

"What?"

"I didn't disable the tracker in the ship. He knows where we are. He'll be coming."

I scowled. "Uh, why _wouldn't_ you disable-"

"This is an advantage," Tony interrupted impatiently. "We can prepare for-."

"We cannot," Loki shot back. "We'll lose, if we go up against him in this state. He would have made better preparations than whatever we could think up."

"We have to kill him," Quill muttered, completely out of topic and completely out of his mind. "I'll kill him _myself_."

Woah. Dark. I felt the urge to kill Thanos too, yes, but not with my own hands. I would be content with watching someone else do it. Most definitely Rogers. He seemed like he would gladly murder the purple alien.

"We get Thanos to come here, we hit him with everything we got, we get the reality stone and we kill him." Tony summed up. "It's a solid plan."

"It's a wish-list," I muttered. "We lost last time, remember?"

"We weren't prepared then," Quill answered. "We are, now."

Wow. Stark and Quill against Loki and me. I glanced quickly at Strange, who was just staring at me like I was an idiot. I pushed down a sigh. That dude was useless. Peter looked anxious, Rogers was pointedly not meeting my gaze, and Drax and Mantis seemed very very depressed.

I felt like I had all these puzzle pieces inside my mind, and all the clues I needed to put the puzzle together. But it was all littered around, some seemed lost, and I just couldn't focus on anything. But Loki...Loki reminded me of something.

Then it clicked.

"I got a plan." I said, convinced.

Tony frowned. "I have just explained the plan to you."

"That was a even worse idea than the dance-off to save the universe." I rolled my eyes, and he looked confused.

"What? What _dance-off_?"

"It's not-," Quill said hastily. "It was not a-"

"Like Footloose, the movie?" Peter chimed in, and Quill regained some of the spark in his eyes, pointing at the boy poignantly.

"Exactly like Footloose. Is it still the greatest movie in history?"

"I have never seen Footloose, so I don't know if it is," I said absentmindedly, and Peter and Stark and Strange wheeled around at me.

"_You_ don't understand a pop culture reference?!" Strange gasped, mockingly, and I crossed my arms, indignant.

"I don't watch old movies, old people. Except for Star Wars."

"I watched that!" Said Rogers and Quill at the same time, and I could see Tony struggling to keep a serene expression. I rolled my eyes.

"Old people," I muttered under my breath.

Loki made a face, like the humans were all worthless and beneath him. "Weren't we _just_ talking about the imminent threat on all our lives?" He drawled, Nebula looking at us like we were all idiots.

I grudgingly lowered my arms and clapped. "Okay. My plan is not very simple. It's complicated, so please do keep up."

Everyone looked at me expectantly. I nodded, pausing for dramatic effect.

"We're gonna split up."

Everyone kept looking at me, so I frowned. "Any questions?"

"I-I imagined it would be a lot more complex than that," Strange said hesitantly.

"Well, _I_ don't get it." Quill said. "Why are we splitting up? And also, who are you? Why are kids here?"

"Oh really, _now_ is the time for those questions?" Tony snarked, and Rogers kept looking right at me, to the point it got pressuring.

"Okay, fine." I let out, because Rogers's steady puppy look was impossible to fend against. "Half of us are going to get Thor, because he has an ax that will be very helpful in the moment. And other half are going to..." I paused again.

"Did you forget something?" Drax butted in. I scowled.

"I was pausing for dramatic effect."

"You looked kinda deranged," Tony told me, and I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"I do _not_ know why I bother. Vormir. We're going to Vormir."

* * *

Running a group of superheroes was like walking a group of dogs. And yes, I'm proud of this analogy, because it fits the metaphor of Rogers as a puppy perfectly.

They all wanted to smell something, and pee at the worst places possible. I had to drag them back to the topic at hand with extreme vigor, feeling very very older than my actual age. It didn't help that Tony and Quill seemed to have disagreements about _everything_, and Rogers was sullen and quiet and Strange knew he was.

I was guessing Strange knew everything. That would be why he looked strangely guilty every time I rolled my eyes at Rogers's silence.

Loki was no help either. He was the kind of dog that didn't want a walk in the first place, complaining and making off-hand comments about running off to somewhere far away in the galaxy. I was determined to keep a tight leash on that dude.

So when my plan was revised and rehashed like a million times, and it finally came to the part of deciding who went with who, I picked Loki. It was weirdly a bit like picking teams in P.E class, except now all the players were superheroes and anti-heroes.

Of course, Stark, being such a cool guy, said I couldn't pick. I rolled my eyes.

"How are we gonna split up, then? Draw straws?"

"What straws? You have straws?" Drax looked confused, and Stark coolly ignored him.

"Nebula is going to have to drive the ship with the tracker," he pointed out. "Drax and Mantis and you and Peter can go with them."

I huffed. "You're giving me the safe one," I accused. "I won't be a side quest!"

"You're literally going to have a spaceship chase with Thanos," he said, skeptical. "How is that the _safe one_?"

"I'm going to Vormir," I ignored him, because he did have a point but I was not willing to lose. "I have to. None of you guys know what's going to happen there." Well, besides Strange.

"She _is_ true," Strange said, face inscrutable, and I knew my fate was a fixed point. Apparently, yeah, the future required me on Vormir. Fuck.

Tony looked grumpy. "Fine. Then Capsicle, go with her."

"What?" Rogers reared his head, echoing my word at the same time. No! I was not going to go with Rogers to Vormir! That would ruin every single one of my plans!

"I'll go with Doc," I said desperately. "I-I," I had no actual logical reason that wouldn't betray why I needed Strange instead of Rogers. So I opened my mouth, shut it, and gave the overall impression of a gaping fish.

Quill tilted his head. "Something is going on here," he commented.

"No shit, Sherlock." Stark muttered and I almost burst out laughing because _Sherlock_? Man, I needed a better poker face.

"There's nothing going on, dude," I grumbled casually, crossing my arms. "I'm just saying Doc would be more handy in Vormir."

Silence. Oops.

"Wow. _Burn_," Quill muttered, and Tony looked incredulous.

"We _are_ talking about the same person, right? Captain America and the _wizard_? Are you saying-"

"I mean," I emphasized the word hastily, "that there's nothing physical to fight in Vormir. It's just sorcery mumbo jumbo," I stole a glance at Rogers, who just had his lips set in a line, face somehow conveying both _you do you _and _that hurt. _I had no idea how he did that. "No offense, of course."

"What'd you say, Cap?" Stark turned to Rogers. "Which team?"

My dream team was Loki and Strange, because they were each masters in their field of magic. I needed _wizards_. I mean, if my plan was to pummel Thanos in the face, of _course_ I would pick Rogers. But that _wasn't_ my plan.

My plan was far more elaborate, and difficult to pull off.

"I'll keep an eye on her," Rogers said, and I resisted the urge to groan out loud. That meant...fuck half of all my plans. Actually, that would fuck all my plans. I bet he would try to stop me from pulling it off.

"You don't have to say that," I said, dismayed. "If this is about what happened and you're being-"

He quirked an eyebrow at me and I shut up quickly. God, why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?

Tony looked between Rogers and I, eyes narrowed. "Something is strange. Strange?"

"That is one awful pun," Strange told him, reluctantly.

Tony gaped. "You _never_ respond to jokes about your name, wizard. Who are you, and what _happened_ to the three of you?"

We were silent, and Loki wheeled around to me. I gave him a wild _not now _look.

Loki raised his eyebrows-_you're going to spill all your secrets, mortal-, _and shook his head. "Is any of this relevant?"

"We need to move," Nebula said, tossing the words over shoulder from where she sat, sharpening her dagger in a totally badass way. "Thanos will be here any moment."

"Okay, then." I nodded quickly, conceding defeat. "I'll go with Roge-Cap and Loki, and you go with Quill and Doc." I turned to Peter. "You okay with a spaceship chase with aliens?"

He gave me an _are you kidding me_ face. "Yes. I _cannot_ stress that enough."

"Do not encourage danger-obsessed teenagers, danger-obsessed teenager." Tony pointed at me, then clapped his hands. "I have a bad feeling about this, but then I always have a bad feeling about everything, so it's normal."

"Was there _any _point to that sentence?" Strange asked, dubious, and Tony nodded.

"Yes. The point is that everything is normal, we are the good guys, and we are gonna win. Okay?"

"Good point," Quill said, completely serious, and I pushed down the urge to laugh hysterically.

Well. At least _that_ was normal.

* * *

A/N: I am awesome, but I had waded too deep into the seas of Hannibal.

shoutout to fellow hannigram shippers, and also shoutout to all my quizzes in school I have yet to work on-wait a moment, please. I'll get to you in like...a millennia-.

The story is wrapping up, and an idea for a sequel is haunting my brain. Ugh. Maybe...ugh ugh ugh *throws up at the thought of having to succumb to all my insane ideas*

Okay. *wipes mouth :(* Thank you for reading, and thank you for thinking I am awesome.


	38. Chapter 38 : Bloody plans

"So...that happened."

I looked at Loki. He looked at me.

"You," he started, then paused. "You are very stupid."

My eyebrows shot up. "That wasn't the comment I expected, but...okay?"

His grip on the piloting thingy loosened slightly, then tightened, and he looked straight forward. "Do you want me to kill him?"

"Yeah sure." I answered absentmindedly. A knife materialized in his slack hand, Loki flipping and catching it, and I recoiled. "No. Of course not, dude. Are you serious?"

"I am always serious," he deadpanned, and I rolled my eyes.

"It wasn't even his fault," I murmured. "Like, I get that Thanos made him do it, but his...uh how do I say this, his..._presence_, it's slightly triggering."

"Slightly?"

"...Very, I guess. So. How do I get over this?"

He frowned at me. "Do you really think I'm the best person to ask about getting over trauma?"

...Right. Loki did attempt to take over a planet during his process of healing.

"You're like, the _only_ person I can ask," I muttered.

"Ask him."

"No!" I said, crossing my arms. "Forget it. We _are_ in the middle of a world-saving plan."

He rolled his eyes. "Why do you avoid him so much?"

I scoffed. "You kissing him probably had nothing to do with it," I drawled sarcastically, and his eyes cleared somewhat.

"You could have told him-"

"And risk a fight between you two?"

"I wouldn't fight," he sniffed. "I would just overcome him."

I sighed. My life. How is this my life?

"He just doesn't like me," I whined. "He practically ignored my entire existence on Titan."

Loki just raised his eyebrows at me, seeming to deem this conversation beneath him. I scowled.

"I mean, on Thano's ship, he was nice. And then he was way too nice, and then he was _brooding_. Captain America's supposed to be socially adjusted or something! Not socially awkward like me!"

"He _is_ a man out of time. And you are the furthest thing from the 1940s."

"That is true." I blinked. "Maybe I should've been less teenager-y. How do you be less teenager-y?"

"Grow up," he said, not harshly, but not in a kind manner either. "And you will be less childish."

"I am very un-childish." I retorted, affronted. "I am totally adult-ish. Wait. Is that even a word?"

He sighed in that annoyed yet amused manner and I laughed at his face, purely because I knew I could. Conversations with Loki were easy-going and fun, even when we were talking about serious subjects. Why couldn't I have this relationship with Rogers?

Probably because I still referred to him as Rogers, not Steve. But still, Steve? I cringed at the mere idea of calling him that.

The aforementioned dude was taking a nap, probably. I had no idea. He was in the crowded storage room, definitely trying to take a break from being in the same space as me. It was almost comical how we ended up together again and again. For fuck's sake, the universe really hated me.

"I have a plan," I said, out of the blue, because thinking of how the universe hated me reminded me that I needed Loki's help in my plan. Strange had known what to do, when I had approached him before we left Titan.

Strange had, of course, seen the fucking future. I had almost wanted to punch him in his stupid perfect shark face. But I didn't, because I was not childish-cough cough- and I sorta got it. My plan was probably the only way to stop Thanos.

Stark and Rogers had no idea, not yet. I had hoped I could keep it that way, but the problem was; Rogers was on our bloody ship.

Ugh.

"We are already executing a plan," Loki glanced at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, fuck this plan." He curled his nose at the swearword, and I rolled my eyes. "Fine, to hell with this plan!" I waved my hands in a vague dramatic way, feeling slightly like a pirate. Ooh, space pirates!

"What?" Came a hesitant voice, and I blinked, because of course Rogers had to enter at that exact moment. I gave Loki a look like _see?_ and Loki had the indecency to laugh.

I sighed, turning around to Rogers. "Um. Did you have a nice nap?"

He frowned. "I didn't take a nap."

I faltered. Wow. That probably really sounded like an insult. "Uh, I didn't mean that in a _mean_ way just that you were gone for a short-"

"Stop rambling," Loki rolled his eyes, and fixed a pointed gaze at Rogers. "I heard about what happened." His words sounded sharp, his accent pronounced clearly. He sounded slightly angry.

"So what," I intruded, because I really didn't want Loki picking a bloody fight when we were only a few planets away from Vormir. We had to plan, goddammit. "This is really not impo-"

"The Captain of America, mighty hero," Loki drawled. "killing a child. Could you really have done nothing?"

"I'm not a child," I scoffed, my eyes flitting at Rogers whose face seemed to be weirdly depressed. "And that's a very mean thing to-"

"I failed to get us out of there in time and I failed when I needed to protect her. But," Roger's face hardened. "You are in no position to remind me of that, Loki."

Loki bristled visibly, opening his mouth to say something undoubtedly venomous when I scowled, raised a hand to stop him.

"Gosh stop it, idiots." I rolled my eyes. "We have like an hour until one of us probably has to die, and you guys wanna waste it?"

"What?" They look equally horrified and I patted myself on the back. Well. They looked super angry, but at least they weren't yelling at each other.

...It wasn't a well thought out plan.

"What do you mean, one of us has to die?" Loki demanded, and I sighed softly.

"It's like a super long story, but...when we get to Vormir, we're gonna meet this skull dude. Oh." I pointed at Rogers. "Red Skull. You know that guy, right?"

Rogers's frown lines deepened. "Red Skull? How is he-"

"Wormhole blah blah blah." I shrugged. "It doesn't make much sense, but how would I know? Anyway, he's gonna give us some convoluted speech about sacrifice and shit, and expect one of us to throw ourselves off a cliff to get the soul stone."

Heavy silence followed.

"We're-we're not actually going to throw ourselves off a cliff, are we?" Loki asked hesitantly, and I scoffed.

"Like _you_ would do it. You're not the most sacrificial person, dude."

Loki looked indignant, but didn't actually say anything. I was too right.

"And also," I looked at Rogers. "None of us are going to fall off a cliff, so get those ideas out of your head."

"How would you know?" Rogers questioned, eyebrows raised, and I rolled my eyes.

"You're the most predictable guy in the universe," I quipped, but the dude didn't look much insulted. Gah. Whatever. I really wished I could make the dude annoyed or something. His default setting seemed to be stoic amusement, capable of nothing else.

I crossed my arms. "My first plan was to throw Skull dude off the cliff, but that doesn't seem like it would work."

"Why not?" Loki said innocently, and I ignored him.

"So I came up with a better plan."

"...What is it?" Rogers asked, finally, after some moments where I drew out the silence, and I quirked a brief smile.

"Can't tell you."

"You're going to throw yourself off a cliff, aren't you?" Rogers asked, deeply resigned, and I grinned.

"Of course not. I like my life. Also, I'm pretty sure I can survive a drop down a cliff."

"Basic spell casting," Loki nodded, and Rogers just looked confused. "But then why are you-"

"Skull dude wants us to die. Not just show off we can do magic."

"Then how are you-"

"I have a plan, trust me." I smiled smugly. "See? I can predict all your questions!"

He looked, again, stoically amused. Gah. Fuck that dude.

I continued "And when we get the soul stone, we're going to contact Thanos, ask him to meet at-"

"What?" The bother of them said, at the same bloody time. I tried hard not to cry or laugh or do something, because I knew this was a crazy idea too.

It was batshit cray cray. It was insane. But Strange, who had seen the bloody future, seemed to think it was a perfectly normal plan.

I didn't know exactly what Thanos was going to do, but I was ultimately sure that he wanted to know what I knew. And if we didn't stop him, he was going to get me and he was going to get the truth, and-

He wouldn't stop until he 'saved' the world. He would find a way into my world, destroy half of the population, and feel smug about it.

I had to stop him, a sacrifice or two not withstanding.

So I sighed, rubbed at my eyes, and nodded. "Yes, this sounds stupid, but this is the plan. Plan with a capital 'P'. The plan that will save the world."

"Are you sure?" Rogers asked, voice careful, and I thought, again, that I quite liked his way of speaking. I used to hate authority figures, but I had to admit they were useful in times of crises.

"Yeah." I clenched a fist and released it. "Well, as sure as I could be."

"How reassuring," Loki muttered, and I gave him a pointed look. He rolled his eyes. "Of course I am with you on everything," he said in a dainty voice. "Let's fly to our deaths!"

I laughed faintly. "Yeah, well don't get your hopes up, because you might just survive."

And the emphasis was on _you._

* * *

A/N: Yes it's been like a month, and yes, this is pretty short, but it's been rotting on my computer for like weeks.

These days I have something like a slump, and it fucking sucks. I've been going through some rough patches, so I don't know if I can upload soon. Thank you for waiting.

ㅏ아아아아ㅏ아아아정말 슬럼프그리고 글을 안 씀 아아아아아아아미안 바이바이


	39. Chapter 39 : I hate rocks

Vormir was a dumb, stupid place.

Maybe that's just because I was bummed about my sort of impending doom, and was too busy with the thoughts in my mind to focus on the scenery, but, well, yeah. It was a dumb and stupid place, in my opinion.

The sky was that pink/purple color I would definitely want as my phone wallpaper aesthetic as we landed on the mountain of rock. Mountain of bloody _rock. _Yeah, it _was_ shaped in a cool castle-like formation, but it was still _rock_. No wonder why this place has no good yelp reviews. Or isn't on yelp at all.

"Still not telling us the plan?" Rogers glanced at me as I stopped in front of the ship, head tilted to look at the sky, and I shrugged.

"You guys wouldn't understand anyway."

"Spoken like a true adolescent," Loki drawled, raising his eyebrow at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, adults suck, and I'm very depressed and young and have no money." I crossed my arms, almost theatrically. "We doing this or not?"

"I would love to say no," Loki muttered, and strolled forward. We followed, because sincerely, there were no other options.

There was a pathway leading inside, an arch of, you guessed it, _rock_, over our heads. It would have been kind of beautiful in a gothic style if you liked rocks. A haven for rock-collectors and rock-lovers and-god, I was thinking too hard about rocks.

It probably wasn't even rock, though. More like obsidian-which I only knew from playing Minecraft when I was young, or some exotic space rock-which was, when you thought about it, still rock. Obsidian is also still rock, isn't it?

So it _was_ rock.

Oh god. Shut _up_, brain.

Rogers suddenly halted, looked up, and I froze as well, looking up at the dementor-like dark figure descending from the gloom. Red Skull. Here to bust me out from never-ending thoughts about rocks.

"Welcome, Loki, son of Odin," the voice came, low and echoing. "Eunseo Lee, passerby. Steve Rogers, son of Joseph Rogers, my _final enemy_." His bright red face emerged, and I tried not to laugh at the color of his skin. I was _not_ a racist. Then what he said registered in my brain.

Passerby? Seriously? I wanted to roll my eyes, because can you make it any less obvious that I wasn't from this world? Also, _final enemy_? The dude had a serious flair for the dramatic.

"Red Skull," Rogers said grimly, his jaw set in a way that didn't really invoke good memories in me. "We're not here to fight. We just want the-"

"Soul stone, yes." His snake-y eyes turned on me. "It is my curse to know all who journey here. And the price, they will have to pay."

"How very not ominous at all," I flashed an easy smile, and nodded to myself. "Okay. Great. Lead us there, won't ya?"

I was pretty sure he glared at me because he didn't get to say his other dramatic lines. He swung around, still floating like a hot air balloon, and started up the stairs.

* * *

"So you've been here for century, huh?" I said, huffing a breath through my mouth because stairs were bloody _steep _and I wasn't fit at _all_. "Did you stand all round all day, waiting for people?"

"It is my punishment," he answered, annoyance shining though his tone. "Do not mock-"

I held up a hand, bending over. "Can we go slower?"

It was only two days ago I'd been tortured. And my ribs were still sore from being smacked all over the place, my neck would've been bruised still if Loki hadn't healed it, and I had _not gotten any good night's sleep for the last week or so. _

I was exhausted. With a good reason. And the dudes were all so fit and healthy I hated them for it.

Red Skull pranced on, paying me no heed. Loki glanced at me and Rogers, seemingly decided something, and followed him up. Fuck. That betraying asshole.

Rogers raised a hand to my shoulder, thought better, then pulled it down. "You okay?"

"Yup." I popped the p, hoping he would just walk on. "I'm fine." And then I had the horrible urge to apologize. Absurd, really, but I still blurted out, "sorry for yelling at you."

He looked kind of confused, so I elaborated. "Like, two days ago. On Nebula's ship. I shouldn't have yelled. I was like, super emotional then, which was stupid of me."

"Regis. It's okay," his eyes were not exactly warm, but somewhat close to that. "I shouldn't have pushed."

"Yeah, but still." I crinkled my eyes. "Can we, like, stop being so awkward then? And move on?"

He peered at me, and smiled slightly. "Okay."

"Not just the yelling thing, but uh, the killing thing too."

Those blue fucking eyes. I really hated them.

After a pause in which I went to the moon and back, he nodded softly.

And I was still on Vormir, I told myself. But, well, er, should be better to revel in small victories.

* * *

We crossed into the temple-like floor, high above the water and so close to the sky. The foreign view was nothing you would get in Earth, so alien, and absolutely gorgeous. I wish I hadn't been here for the soul stone. I wished I had been here for space tourism.

"What you seek, lies before you." Red Skull murmured, again with the dramatics. And this time, I let him have it. "As does what you fear."

"Nothing lies before me but a cliff," Loki sassed, looking around. "I do not particularly fear cliffs. We're also not here for a _cliff_. We're seeking a soul stone, don't you remember?"

"It's the _price_," Red Skull hissed, sweeping out a hand towards the edge. "To ensure whoever possesses it understands it's power, the stone demands a sacrifice."

Nobody looked surprised. Probably because I had already told them everything.

I sighed. "Of what?" I asked the inevitable, and Red Skull turned his red gaze upon me.

"In order to take the stone," he paused, for, again, dramatic effect. "you must lose what you love."

I stared back at him. "A soul for a soul," I muttered under my breath, and everyone was looking at me then.

"Regis-"

Rogers started, but I stopped him with a roll of my eyes. "No one's throwing themselves off the cliff, Cap. Don't be stupid." I stepped forward, looking down over the edge, marveling at the height. Loki grabbed the collar of my jacket, tugged me back.

"Then stay away from it, would you?"

I rolled my eyes again. "I'm not a _toddler_."

"Compared to me, you are." He retorted, and I made a face.

"Ew. Gross."

"The _price_," Red Skull repeated, probably angry we were all just kind of ignoring him. "You must sacrifice what you love, if you desire the stone."

"Uh, yup. We got that." I took a breath, released it, thought about the decision I was about to make. Then I decided I wouldn't, because even the thought of thinking about it was giving me headaches.

I was going to rush into this. I was going to do this like a teenager about to have sex for the first time. I was going to be reckless, thoughtless, and just plain stupid.

(I couldn't bear thinking about it. I couldn't. I just-)

"I give up my life." I said, painfully casually. And I swallowed, because my mouth was kind of dry. "I give it up. That's my sacrifice."

Loki stared at me. "What are you talking ab-"

"Your life," Red Skull hummed, looking interested for once. "Can you bear doing so?"

"It really would be better if you didn't ask any questions," I shot back. "but yeah. I can bear with that."

"Your family. Your friends. Your _world_." His eyes were strangely piercing, as they looked into mine. So different from Roger's warm gaze. Red Skull was just so _dead_, if that was the right word. His eyes were so dead. "Do you dare to give them up?"

I felt angry. I hadn't phrased it like that for a _reason_, for fuck's sake. I was barely dedicated to this. And there he was, trying to shake me off.

I knew with the power stone and the added help of the reality stone, dimension-hopping was possible, when you knew which one you were looking for. So if Thanos gets the stones, and he gets _me_-which sounds weird but was incredibly legit-, he was going to be able to destroy _two _worlds.

Thanos would be outraged at the idea of him being a mere movie character. He would want to become more, _prove _that he is more.

And the perfect way to do that was to destroy his creators, demolish the ones who had used him for entertainment.

It was so fucking _predictable. _And what I was doing was so fucking predictable as well.

I had hated martyrs when I was younger. I had hated them, because they all looked fucking stupid and idiotic and needlessly _nice. _But now that I was in the position myself, I could only see one option.

I didn't want my family to die. I didn't want the Avengers to die.

And maybe, just _maybe_, I would find a way past this deal. After Thanos was dead, and the threats were averted, I would be able to search and wreak the entire _universe_ for a way back home.

And I would. Oh, I fucking would.

"Yes." I answered, fist clenched. "I dare."

Red Skull looked at me and looked past me at the same time, and everything went dark.

* * *

It was a crimson sky I woke up to.

"That dramatic bastard," I muttered, my hair floating around me in a halo. I felt weightless, half-submerged in the water. The decision I had just solidified did nothing to break this peacefulness.

Then, of course, Loki blinked awake.

"What just happened?" He demanded, sitting up, and I tried to focus on the sky overhead. It was a beautiful color of an alien sunset and look at the clouds, the swirling specter now covered by Loki's fucking dreadlocks-

"Would you give me some _space_?" I said, pushing him away. I felt desperate for those last moments of peace, because I was pretty sure it was going to be a shit-show from now on, but Loki didn't seem to share those inclinations.

Then Rogers sat up, looked at me with his puppy eyes, and I sighed, resigned.

"Okay, fine, just," I shrugged. "Lie down for a moment."

"What?"

"We need to be relaxed for this." _I_ needed to be relaxed for this.

Loki looked very much like he was considering shaking my shoulders until I made sense, but he did so, pointedly crossing his arms. I tried not to roll my eyes. Rogers, of course, was better at following orders. I let out a breath, trying to steel myself.

"Soul stone wanted a sacrifice," I said, eyes tracing the countless blurs of stars I could see in the sky. "So I-I gave it one. The place that I come from. _My_ world. My life that I once had."

Rogers turned his head towards me, eyes wrinkled. "But what does that _mean_?"

I tried to shrug, to act pretty nonchalant, but I knew far too much to do that.

"That I can't go back?" I said, voice strange. "That my back-up plan has spectacularly blown up in my face?"

Loki gave me a look that said _what the fuck. _He was surprised, and I was surprised that I had been able to surprise him. "You shouldn't have-"

"Did it already, so not helpful."

"...That was incredibly stupid of you," he said after another moment of looking at me like I was an idiotic kitten. I felt vague deja vu, and then blinked with understanding.

"You call acts of heroism stupid, don't you?" I nodded to myself, when he didn't reply. "Yeah. You totally do."

"Regis," Rogers started, sad and sad and sad. "Are you-are you going to be okay?"

I pursed my lips, tilting my body up and balancing it with one hand to the soft sand floor. I raised the other hand, palm splayed, and gazed at the sparkling stone I had staked everything for.

"I can deal, when it's all over." I said, closing a fist around the rock. "But for now, let's see if this was fucking worth it."

* * *

A/N: Wow. It's been...so long. Oops.

Mainly this chapter is for Eunseo Lee, the original, who got into somewhere she wanted to get into! (Sounds like she got into a bank and robbed it or something, but...her place is legal.)

And also, for you guys, because you guys are really awesome. Thanks for all the follows and the favorites and the reviews, everything that makes me feel more confident about my writing, about trying out new things. So thank you, and I hope I can provide at least a few moments of amusement for you.

Thanks, again. And I am pretty sure this story is coming to an end, and...let's hope I have the willpower to finish it.


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